Sometimes things don’t unfold on paper the way they look but jockey Joel Rosario proved he is adaptable when he switched the script with Frosted in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.
The 89th running of the Whitney was conducted last Saturday and there were a pair of legit speed horses in the race but Joel Rosario knew he was on the best horse and he rode him that way.
Frosted just went to the lead and never looked back.
So many things can happen at the break of a horserace and what happened in the Whitney was that the projected pacesetter Noble Bird could not make the lead.
Noble Bird tried, he was just a half-length off Frosted early but he was finished before they got to the stretch. Upstart, at 10-1, tried to pick up the slack but he was life and death to hold on to third.
This left the door opened for Comfort to come from second to last and complete the exacta.
Joel Rosario sensed the lack of speed with Noble Bird immediately and although it was shocking to Frosted’s trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Rosario was aggressive and played ‘come catch me’.
The conditioner didn’t plan to have his charge leading but even though the fractions were quick, he was confident in the talents of Rosario.
Frosted ran the opening quarter-mile in :23.11 and had a length lead after he ran 6 furlongs in 1:09.65. Rosario made his patented move approaching the stretch and opened up a 3-length lead at the top of the lane getting the mile in 1:34.52.
From that point, it was a case of not the win but the winning margin as Frosted was put under a light drive to finish 2 lengths in front in 1:47.77 as the 1-2 favorite.
His final time stands up very well as it was the fastest since Fort Larned won the Whitney in 2012 in 1:47.76. The only Whitney that was run faster in the last 10 years was the performance but Lawyer Ron, who cashed in 1:46.64.
As far as a Beyer Speed Figure is concern, Frosted’s 107 Beyer stands up decently to recent Whitney runners. There was a concern that Frosted would ‘bounce’ after he earned a 123 Beyer winning his prior race, the Met Mile.
A ‘bounce’ is a term for what happens to a horse in the very next race after a huge performance. The 123 Beyer that Frosted earned in the Met Mile was his career top figure and he did bounce.
The son of Tapit just ‘bounced’ right into the winner’s circle.
In 2015 Honor Code won the Whitney with a 113 Beyer. In 2014 Moreno earned a 109 Whitney Beyer and in 2013, Cross Traffic was awarded a 108 Whitney Beyer.
Frosted has now won 6 of his 17 starts and has banked nearly $4 million and his connections have options.
Last year Honor Code followed the Whitney by running third in the Grade 2 Kelso and then third again in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
In 2014 Moreno raced in the Woodward, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and then the Breeders’ Cup after his Whitney win but was 0 for 3 in those events.
The logical position would be for Frosted to race one more time before the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
As for Joel Rosario, this was not his first rodeo. Born in the Dominican Republic, he was the leading rider in his native land several times before moving his tack to America.
He came to the United States a mere 10 years ago riding initially at Fairplex Park in Pomona and then he cut his teeth on the Northern California circuit.
Eventually Rosario shifted his focus on the big money in Southern California and was soon riding for some major stables.
In 2009 he finished 5th in earnings nationally, was third the next year and in 2013 he had a break-out season.
In 2013 Rosario won the $10 million Dubai World Cup and then a couple of months later, guided Orb to win the Kentucky Derby for trainer Shug McGaughey.
Last year, Rosario was 6th in winners at the Saratoga stand and this year he is in the top 5 in winners but more importantly is second in total earnings.
His average winning payoff at the Saratoga meet this year is nearly $8.50. Rosario has hit at a 15% clip this meeting and his mounts have been in the money over 42% of the time.
One thing is sure when wagering on Joel Rosario and that is he has the smarts and the talent to be adaptable and come away victorious.
