Frost Free after his Chick Lang victory (Anika Miskar/Past The Wire)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Keene Thoroughbreds’ Frost Free, winner of last Friday’s Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico Race Course, is slated to make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,0000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on Belmont Stakes Day June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.
The Chick Lang marked the graded stakes debut for both Frost Free and trainer Brett Creighton, who launched his career in 1989.
“At the time, I didn’t really think about it but it’s an accomplishment,” Creighton said. “I’m proud of it. I really am.”
Frost Free made every pole a winning one in the six-furlong Chick Lang, exiting post 6-of-8 under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and powering home a 1 1/2-length winner over the muddy and sealed going.
“That’s kind of his running style and I’m not going to try and change that,” Creighton said. “He’s improved every race. He’s more mature and grew up. This race did a whole lot for him, and I’m really pleased. He came back healthy and he’s sitting on go.”
The $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association 2-Year-Old in Training Sale purchase made his first start last June for trainer Danny Pish at Lone Star Park, pouncing to a 1 1/4-length win in a five-furlong maiden special weight over sloppy going. He was transferred to Creighton and was off-the-board in the Advent and Renaissance in December at Oaklawn Park to complete his 2-year-old campaign.
Frost Free has a perfect in-the-money record this year of 5-2-1-2, including an optional-claiming win going six-furlongs on March 1 along with a third-place finish in the one-mile Hot Springs three weeks later ahead of a runner-up effort to Valentine Candy on April 27 in the six-furlong Bachelor.
Creighton said the Hot Springs effort gives him confidence the talented grey can stretch his sprint skills out to seven-eighths.
“I took the blinkers off him and ran him a mile there at Oaklawn and he didn’t run a bad race first time around two turns,” Creighton said. “I think he’ll handle the seven furlongs.”
Frost Free is out of the winning Union Rags mare D J’s Favorite, who is out of the stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare I’m Mom’s Favorite.
