Frosted had his breath taken away while losing the Fountain of Youth. On Saturday, he made the crowd at Aqueduct gasp as he made a sharp run through the stretch to capture the $1 million Wood Memorial.
Frosted, a son of Tapit, picked up 100 Kentucky Derby points and is assured a spot in the starting gate for the Run for the Roses on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Toasting Master cut the pace with Daredevil on his flank through an open quarter of 24 seconds. The two remained together in a half-mile of 49 seconds, a slow pace.
Frosted was wide throughout much of the trip but it didn't deter jockey Joel Rosario, who guided him to the front and past longshot Tencendur in the lane. The time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.31. Frosted returned $6.40 for a $2 bet.
Frosted looked great at the top of the stretch in the Fountain of Youth. However, he came to a stop. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin believed Frosted had a breathing problem in the race and it led to minor surgery.
The procedure was a success as Frosted proved the strong horse in the Wood, which has produced 20 Derby winners but no horse that has placed in the top three of the Run for the Roses in a dozen years.
"Glad he showed up today and ran like we always thought he could," McLaughlin said after the Wood. "We will be thankful to go down there (Kentucky) in a month."
El Kabeir is owned by Ahmed Zayat, who also owns American Pharoah. Zayat has known his share of Kentucky Derby disappointment, with three horses finishing second and one, Eskendereya, knocked off the trail to the Run for the Roses shortly before the race with a leg injury.
