NEW YORK -- Starting from scratch can be a risky proposition, especially when the Kentucky Derby is rapidly approaching on the horizon. Yet Kiaran McLaughlin had no choice.
The 54-year-old trainer simply was not used to the sight of a bona fide Kentucky Derby prospect turning for home in a major prep with a clear lead and then losing interest in running -- just as Frosted did in the Fountain of Youth.
On that frustrating February afternoon for McLaughlin, Frosted had forged to the front on the final turn and seemed to be comfortably cruising along in the Grade 2 stakes. Even track announcer Larry Collmus bought in, punctuating his call of the race with: "Frosted is looking good."
Appearances, however, proved to be quite deceiving as Frosted slowed in the stretch over a dull, tiring track, said "no mas" and faded to fourth.
"The last race really made us scratch our head over why he would go to the lead and then throw his head in the air and stop when we all thought he was going to win," McLaughlin said.
So McLaughlin, his assistant trainers, vets, grooms and everyone else associated with the colt went back to the drawing board. He switched riders, bringing in Joel Rosario to replace Irad Ortiz Jr. The Godolphin Racing colt underwent a minor throat operation because McLaughlin wondered if Frosted flipped his palate, restricting his breathing. Then, instead of running Frosted at Gulfstream in the Florida Derby, he gave the homebred son of Tapit an extra week of rest and shipped him to Aqueduct for Saturday's $1 million Wood Memorial.
"We did it all," McLaughlin said. "We changed everything that we thought could have gone wrong."
Then he held his breath, and let out a huge sigh of relief when Frosted ($6.40) returned to winning form and rallied from sixth in the field of seven to capture the Wood by two lengths and punch his ticket to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby.
Daredevil, the slight $2.00-to-1 favorite, was a well-beaten fourth.
"This has been a tough, special project for my team … It all worked out and it's a special win for us and Godolphin," said McLaughlin, whose colt covered the mile-and-an-eighth in a moderate 1:50.31 on a windy day at the Big A. "He's a nice horse and I'm glad we all got to see it come together for him. It's a great feeling because he's such a neat horse.
"We got paid off for the hard work."
As part of that payoff, McLaughlin and the Dubai-based Godolphin have an intriguing Kentucky Derby candidate whose new-found ability to close could come in handy in the Run for Roses, which has no shortage of horses who want to be on or near the lead. "No problem, especially after he rated like he did today," McLaughlin said about the Derby's mile-and-a-quarter distance. "I don't think an extra furlong will be a problem." Nor will starting in the Run for the Roses pose a problem for any of the top three finishers in the Wood. Frosted received 100 points for his victory in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, which assured him of a spot in the field, while Tenecedur, who picked up 40 points, can also make travel plans, if his connections wish.
El Kabeir, who had already clinched his spot in the field with 75 points coming in, added 20 more to his total for good measure.
At Churchill Downs on May 2 they could meet up with two horses who were impressive winners of Saturday's other Grade 1 preps (Dortmund/Santa Anita Derby; Carpe Diem/Blue Grass) and perhaps reigning 2-year-old champ American Pharoah, and don't expect any of the New York horses to be among the favorites on the toteboard.
Yet if Frosted can continue to progress and improve off Saturday's effort, there could be some intriguing international implications. In Godolphin, Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum heads the world's most formidable stable and for decades he has coveted a victory in an American Triple Crown race.
"For anyone to win the Derby, it's a dream," McLaughlin said. "Godolphin only wants to win it when they have a chance and this gives us a big chance. That's why it's exciting. It would be great for them [to win the Derby] because they do so much for racing. They are so generous in supporting racing around the world."
To date, Godolphin's Dubai-based runners have been unable to create a stir on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, yet now a horse born, raised, trained and even tinkered with in America could be the vehicle of change for Sheikh Mohammed's luck at Churchill Downs.
Given how all of McLaughlin's changes have worked out with Frosted so far, it's hardly a far-fetched notion.