Frosted tours track with Tamarkuz ahead of likely Belmont Stakes bid

Tamarkuz and Frosted (inside) cruised over Belmont Park’s main track on Friday (NYRA/Susie Raisher/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Twinspires.com Wood Memorial S. (G1) winner Frosted (Tapit) took to
the fast Belmont main track Friday morning, breezing five furlongs in 1:01 2/5
one day after he was declared a likely starter for the $1.5 million Belmont
S. (G1) by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Working in company with Tamarkuz (Speightstown), winner of the March 28 Godolphin Mile
(UAE-G2) in Dubai, Frosted and his older workmate hit the wire together and
galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5.

“(Frosted) worked with a really nice horse, and we didn’t
want him to go too fast or too slow, so it was a perfect work,” McLaughlin said.
“They both galloped out well and came back in good shape, and we’ll do it again
next week for June 6.”

Frosted will attempt to regain his winning ways in the Belmont Stakes (NYRA/Susie Raisher/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Tamarkuz is probable for the $1.25 million Metropolitan H. (G1) on Belmont
Stakes Day. The five-year-old chestnut horse enters the Met Mile on a four-race
win streak, with his last three victories coming in group contests in Dubai.

“Tamarkuz is a nice horse,” McLaughlin stated. “We’re picking out a tough
spot to get him started, but he’s a very good horse. He’s been with us about a
month now and has done everything right. He’s worked three times here and has
been training very well.

“It’s a tough race, but he won the Godolphin Mile in his last start, so it’s
not like we need to back him into an allowance race.”

If Tamarkuz is to win his fifth straight race and North
American debut, he’ll have to beat a world-class field and adapt to a race shape
that may not be ideal for him, according to McLaughlin.