Kelli Got Frosty, a daughter of last year’s leading New York first crop sire Frost Giant, was left with nothing to apologize for after her sophomore debut when she finished second to Grade 2 Gazelle-bound Princess of Sylmar in the open $100,000 Busher on the Withers undercard at Aqueduct on Saturday afternoon.
Riding back-to-back restricted stakes victories into the 1 1/16-mile Busher, and making her first start around two turns, 5-2 second choice Kelli Got Frosty broke cleanly from her outside post under Cornelio Velasquez and took up second position under a hold, prompting early leader Kimono as the field entered the clubhouse turn.
Kimono set extremely moderate fractions for three-quarters of a mile (25.81, 51.12, 1:15.32). Kelli Got Frosty briefly grabbed the lead in the turn, but 1-4 favorite Princess of Sylmar made a sweeping move from third, passed the front two and kicked away to a 7-length victory. Kelli Got Frosty held well to finish a half length ahead of a closing Let Me Entertain U, who crossed the wire a neck ahead of pacesetter Kimono. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:45.52.
Owned by Sunrise Stables in partnership with Lee Sacks, Aubrey Flanagan and Gary Tolchin, Kelli Got Frosty debuted with a fourth place finish in the Lady Finger Stakes last September for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, and next out broke her maiden by an eye-popping 14 lengths in the mud at Belmont on October 4 going 1 1/16 miles.
A close-up third when favored to win the Joseph A. Gimma on Showcase Day, the blaze-faced dark bay went on to win the six-furlong Park Avenue division of the Stallion Stakes Series by one-half length over multiple stakes winner Matchmadeinheaven in November, and the one-mile East View on December 9 by a whopping 9 1/2 lengths. Her record now stands at 3-1-1 from six starts with $195,944 in earnings.
Bred by Andrew Cohen and foaled at Empire Stud in Hudson, Kelli Got Frosty is the second foal to start and second winner out of Nick’s Honor, an unraced daughter of Jump Start. Nick’s Honor currently has a yearling filly by Posse and was bred last year to D’ Funnybone.
Kelli Got Frosty’s sire Frost Giant (Keane Stud), winner of the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap in 2008, set a record for first year progeny earnings for a New York sire in 2012 and was ranked sixth first crop sire nationally.
