Frosted dazzles with 14 1/4-length win in Met Mile

A year after Honor Code turned in an epic last-to-first rally in the same race, Frosted dazzled a Belmont Stakes Day crowd with a jaw-dropping performance of his own in the $1.25 million Metropolitan H. (G1) on Saturday.

Rather than showing Silky Sullivan-like abilities in the Met Mile, Frosted instead blew the doors off his competition, winning by 14 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:32.73, not far off the track record set by Najran more than a dozen years ago.

Saving ground behind a pace of :22.78, :45.35, 1:09.36 initially set by Noble Bird, Frosted always appeared to have a ton of run. Shifted out by Joel Rosario in order to make a four-wide bid for the lead approaching the stretch, Frosted effortlessly seized control in upper stretch and opened up an insurmountable margin.

The 2-1 favorite in a field of 10, the Godolphin-owned Frosted returned $6.70. Westchester (G3) winner Anchor Down, who grabbed a brief lead at the quarter pole, held second by a length over Upstart.

This was the fourth graded stakes win for Frosted, who captured the Wood Memorial (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G2) last season, and kicked off his four-year-old campaign with a five-length romp on the Al Maktoum Challenge Round (G2) at Meydan February 4. He was fifth in the Dubai World Cup (G1) most recently.

This was Frosted's second race ever on Belmont Day, as he notably crossed the wire second in last year's Belmont S. (G1) behind Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. He's placed in four other graded events, including the Travers (G1). His record now stands at 16-5-6-1, $3,182,800.

A homebred by Tapit, Frosted was produced by Grade 2 winner Fast Cookie, a Deputy Minister half-sister to juvenile champion Midshipman.

(Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)