By Christina Bossinakis
Sent off the 9-5 choice to collect his first graded win of his career, Frost Free went to the front and was never headed, registering a 1 1/2-length victory in Pimlico's GIII Chick Lang S.
Mr Skylight missed the break and dropped to last from his inside draw as Frost Free jumped to the front from stall six. In the clear as Sweet Soddy J (Bee Jersey) and Cats by Five surveyed the issue following a :23.24 quarter, the grey continued to show the way through a :46.66 half. Comfortably in front with only Cats by Five and Catahoula Moon (Golden Lad) within striking decision, the pacesetter drifted to the center of the track through the lane, but had built enough of a cushion to fend off Cats by Five by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire. The slow-starting Mr Skylight came running along the inside late to grab third from Catahoula Moon.
“As he always does, he showed some speed early in the race,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr., winner of the first two graded races on the card. “I never had ridden him before, and I didn't want to get in his way. I let him do his thing and be happy. I saw in the other race in the slop he didn't run that well. I was a little concerned about that. I let him be happy, be free and he was there for me whenever I wanted him.”
A first out winner for Danny Pish, Frost Free closed out the season with a pair of unplaced stakes efforts for Brett Creighton. A distant third in a sloppy Oaklawn allowance in February, he posted a front-running score at that venue Mar. 1. Trying a mile for his next start, the colt tired to third, beaten seven lengths by the well-regarded Nash, in the Hot Springs S. Mar. 23. Returned to sprinting for his latest, Frost Free was caught late by Valentine Candy and had to settle for second in the Apr. 27 Bachelor S.
“Were you concerned about the racetrack because your one race on a sloppy track was not that good [at Oaklawn]..That was pretty much the spot we were in at that time,” said Creighton, who was recording his first graded score.
He added, “He's matured and grown up. He's improving with every race.”
Of the slow-starting Mr Skylight, Riley Mott said, “That's wildly disappointing. He was on the rail. There was a little space to his inside. [Jockey] Flavien [Prat] said he broke a step slow and then just went to the open space on the left. Down the backside, Flavien said 'I don't think I'm going to beat a horse.' So, he ran very well to finish where he did. He got beat three lengths, I think, for the whole thing. Disappointing start, but he ran good. Nothing we can really do.”
Pedigree Notes:
The Chick Lang victory gave Frosted his 11th graded stakes winner. A $27,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, the colt brought $100,000 from Danny Keene at the Texas 2-year-old sale in 2023. Dam D J's Favorite is out of Miss Preakness S. winner I'm Mom's Favorite (Indian Charlie), a granddaughter of dual Grade I-winning Tout Charmant (Slewvescent). D J's Favorite is also responsible for an unraced juvenile filly by City of Light and a yearling filly by Essential Quality. She dropped a colt by Good Magic earlier this term.
“Irad Ortiz just chillin' on Frost Free.” – @DaveRodman
#6 FROST FREE ($5.60) and @iradortiz run away with the G3 🏆 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico for trainer Brett Creighton. Congratulations to Keene Thoroughbreds, owner of this colt by Frosted who stands at @DarleyAmerica. pic.twitter.com/aPNQjWKuiM
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) May 18, 2024
Saturday, Pimlico
CHICK LANG S.-GIII, $200,000, Pimlico, 5-18, 3yo, 6f, 1:11.39, my.
1–FROST FREE, 122, c, 3, by Frosted
1st Dam: D J's Favorite, by Union Rags
2nd Dam: I'm Mom's Favorite, by Indian Charlie
3rd Dam: Charming Toutsie, by Storm Cat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($27,000 Ylg
'22 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo '23 TTAAPR). O-Keene
Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Jackpot Farm (KY); T-Brett Creighton;
J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-1-2, $304,220.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cats by Five, 118, c, 3, Audible–Catticus, by Bluegrass Cat.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Three
Chimneys Farm; B-Westwindfarms (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Mr Skylight, 120, c, 3, Practical Joke–Light Bringer, by
Northern Afleet. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($120,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $85,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTKOCT).
O-Peter Vegso; B-Vegso Racing Stable (KY); T-Riley Mott.
$20,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, 1HF. Odds: 1.80, 4.90, 2.80.
Also Ran: Catahoula Moon, Market Street, Petingas Twin, Sweet Soddy J, Classic Joke.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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