OAK TREE MEETING AT SANTA ANITA : Frost Free May Get Kentucky Trip and a Shot at Breeders’ Cup Sprint

A trip to Kentucky and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint is a possibility for Frost Free after his victory in Wednesday’s $106,525 Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita.

Trainer John Sadler said he will see how the 6-year-old gelding comes back after his first race in more than six months, then talk things over with owner Joyce Vandervoort.

There would be no doubt about Frost Free being a Breeders’ Cup entrant if the races were being held at Santa Anita. The son of It’s Freezing continued his love affair with the Arcadia main track, winning for the seventh time in nine tries.

In a field reduced to seven with the scratching of Letthebighossroll, Rushmore and probable favorite Robyn Dancer, Frost Free held off even-money choice Answer Do by a head to win in 1:08 3/5 for the six furlongs.

Ridden by Chris McCarron, the 2-1 second choice led all the way in ending a two-race losing streak at Santa Anita. Frost Free was perfect locally until losing to Farma Way in the San Carlos Handicap on Jan. 13 and to Jacodra in the Potrero Grande on April 3.

Answer Do, who did not have the best of trips, finished a half-length ahead of 7-1 shot Sir Beaufort, who was a head in front of 11-1 outsider Media Plan. Blue Eyed Danny, who was closest to Frost Free most of the way, faded to fifth. Then came Magic Prospect and Naevus Star.

There was a time earlier this year when Sadler wasn’t sure Frost Free was going to live, let alone come back and win another race.

“He was very sick (after the Potrero Grande),” Sadler said. “He nearly died from pneumonia. I called Mrs. Vandervoort and said it was touch and go for a couple of days. But he pulled through.

“When he finally got over that, we turned him out for 90 days at Cedar Hills Farm to let his lungs heal and (to let him) regain his weight. Then we brought him back.

“We’ll wait and see (about the Breeders’ Cup). There’s a chance. But this was a hard race. There’s a little bit of a possibility. I’ll have to talk to Mrs. Vandervoort. The one thing we have going for us is that he’s a superior mudder, and there’s always a chance of rain in Kentucky in November.”

After an easy victory over inferior competition in Arizona on Oct. 6 in his first start in more than five months, Answer Do was trapped inside and didn’t really have his best shot. The consistent gelding, who has been first or second in 24 of 30 starts, will make his next start in the California Cup Sprint on Nov. 9.

“I couldn’t get out,” said Gary Stevens, rider of the runner-up horse. “He’s a big, long-striding horse and doesn’t have a lot of acceleration. I was stuck behind (Frost Free) all the way.”

Golden Pheasant, who was assigned top weight of 119 pounds for Saturday’s Col. F.W. Koester Handicap, instead will be a starter in the $750,000 Budweiser International the same day at Laurel Race Course.

McCarron will ride the 1990 Arlington Million winner in the International, which will be simulcast to Santa Anita. After running horribly in his first start since the Million on the final day of Del Mar, Golden Pheasant returned to finish second behind Wolf on Oct. 4. Jolie’s Halo and Algenib are among the other likely participants in the 1 1/4-mile race.

With Golden Pheasant skipping the one-mile Koester, the probable field includes Val Des Bois, Madjaristan, Blaze O’Brien, River Master, Tokatee, Anjiz and Repriced.

Pleasant Stage, Soviet Sojourn and La Spia, the first three finishers in Monday’s Oak Leaf Stakes, will meet again in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

A twice-beaten maiden before winning the Oak Leaf, Pleasant Stage left Wednesday night for Kentucky, along with stablemate Pleasant Tap.

“She came out of the race great, with no problems,” trainer Chris Speckert said of Pleasant Stage. “(Leaving now) gives us a couple of weeks to get ready for the races.

“We’d like to run Pleasant Tap in the Classic, but we don’t have enough points if it overfills. As for the Sprint, I don’t think six furlongs is too short for him with that long stretch they have there, and he loves that track.”

Horse Racing Notes

Rather than start Robyn Dancer Wednesday, trainer Darrell Vienna said he will just wait for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with the 4-year-old Crafty Prospector colt. . . . Valiant Pete, another quality sprinter in John Sadler’s barn, will work five furlongs this morning in preparation for his return in the California Cup Sprint, a race he won last year. Valiant Pete hasn’t been out since beating the quarter horse Griswold in a match race last April.

Trainer Jerry Fanning said he will work Bag Sunday, then decide whether the 2-year-old will go to the Breeders’ Cup. Bag was a distant third behind Bertrando in the Norfolk Stakes last Sunday. . . . Chris McCarron will be out of town the entire weekend. Besides Golden Pheasant, he will ride Twilight Agenda in the Meadowlands Cup Friday night; then he will be at Woodbine in Toronto Sunday.