Frizette Preview: Gerrymander, A Mo Reay Rematch On The Big Stage

ELMONT, NY – After finishing first and third while separated by a 1/2-length in a 6-furlong Saratoga maiden special weight, Klaravich Stables’ winner Gerrymander and second-start maiden A Mo Reay will have their rematch on the big stage in Sunday’s $400,000 Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

The Frizette is a one-turn dirt mile event restricted to 2-year-old fillies that serves as the penultimate event on a 10-race card with a local post time of 5:16 PM. The race is also a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, awarding an automatic berth in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar this November.

Additionally, the Frizette is part of the Road to the 2022 Kentucky Oaks (G1) prep race season awarding 10 points to the winner, 4 for second, 2 for third, and 1 for fourth.

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Here’s a look at the full field for the Frizette:

1. Frosty Brew 30/1 – She broke her maiden on debut in a 6-furlong Laurel Park sprint by 1 3/4 lengths after stalking outside and in the clear early, then drawing away in the stretch. She had the benefit of drawing outside of that nine-horse field but must now overcome the dreaded rail draw here. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano rides for trainer Shug McGaughey, who’s won this race 5 times.

“She ran a good race down there,” McGaughey said. “She laid a little bit off of it and picked it up. … (The extra distance) ain’t going to hurt her. She’ll lay where she needs to lay, and hopefully, she’ll finish. It’s a tough spot for her.”

2. A Mo Reay 8/1 – Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sends this maiden out for a tougher test than what she nearly defeated on debut when she overcame a poor break and flew late to just miss. Pletcher was reportedly impressed with her gallop-out and subsequent training efforts, and her dam was graded stakes-placed at age 2 while still a maiden, so a strong effort wouldn’t be a total shocker.

3. Saucy Lady T 20/1 – She returns to the track over which she broke her maiden on April 21 while running 5 furlongs over a sloppy (sealed) surface. She was a well-beaten third in all 3 graded stakes attempts at Saratoga, including finishing 7 3/4 lengths behind a returning rival in the 7-furlong Spinaway (G1). Her breeding suggests the distance won’t be much issue, but she seems a cut below.

4. Hot Fudge 12/1 – After finishing fourth on debut in a 6-furlong sprint over the local turf in July, she waited 2 months before returning September 18 to win a 6 1/2-furlong dash on this course. She showed a strong turn of foot to rally from sixth to win a race that saw the top three early runners complete the superfecta in the same order, indicating that this further distance could be to her liking.

5. Jumeirah 15/1 – She broke her maiden on debut by 5 3/4 lengths in a 6-furlong Monmouth Park sprint that saw the next two finishers each win next time out. She finished second behind a runaway gate-to-wire winner while attempting a two-turn mile in the Sorority Stakes and could be sharp cutting back to one turn, but she’ll need to greatly improve upon her best speed figures to win this event.

6. Echo Zulu 3/5 – The heavy favorite deserves the honors after winning by daylight in both career starts at Saratoga, including tackling the Spinaway by 4 lengths while leading at every point of call. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has won this race 3 times but none yet with the barn’s top jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., whose 2 rides on Echo Zulu contributed to his 35 overall wins at the Spa.

“We knew she was fast; I don’t know that we thought she was 92 Beyer fast,” owner Winchell Thoroughbreds’ racing advisor David Fiske said of her debut. “This year, there have only been a couple of other 2-year-olds with bigger figures than her. … Someone’s going to have to catch her. Change the track surface from Saratoga to Belmont and add another furlong, and who knows, but so far, she gives every indication that the mile shouldn’t be a problem for her. As fast as she is, she should be able to hold the turns well. It should be easier for her.”

7. Jester Calls Nojoy 5/1 – Pletcher’s second entry set the pace on debut in a 6-furlong Saratoga sprint before finishing second by 2 lengths, then stretched out to 7 furlongs over the same course next time out and won by 10 lengths. Luis Saez rides for the second straight start and will likely attempt to challenge the big favorite to her inside. Her dam was a 3-time winner going at least 8 furlongs.

8. Gerrymander 8/1 – She finished second when debuting in a local 5 1/2-furlong sprint in June, then returned 2 1/2 months later to defeat A Mo Reay and seven others. Jockey Joel Rosario won this race in 2019 and 2018, and trainer Chad Brown earned his lone race title in 2017 with another Klaravich Stables-owned filly. Her older half-brother Lone Rock is a graded/multiple stakes-winning dirt marathoner.

“I’ve always thought a lot of her. She was bet first out, and I had to totally restart with her, and then she showed us what we thought of her in that last race at Saratoga,” said Brown. “That’s what we thought very early on in the year with her, and then she’s come back and trained well. We brought her down here and the filly worked fabulous on the main track, so we’ll give her a shot to step up. She’s going to like a mile, we’ll see if she likes the competition. That’s the difference.”

9. Magic Circle 20/1 – She steps up after a shocking 25/1 debut score while covering 7 furlongs at Saratoga, defeating several well-meant rivals by 4 1/2 lengths. Look for Manny Franco (who won this in 2016) to plot out a similar stalk-and-pounce trip from this outside post in his second time aboard. Her sire Kantharos was a multiple graded stakes champ at age 2 who produces 17% dirt sprint winners.