After sending out Frac Daddy for a five-furlong breeze at Gulfstream
Park Saturday morning, trainer Ken McPeek reported that the 3-year-old
son of Scat Daddy would likely run next in the $1 million Besilu Stables
Florida Derby on March 30. He had originally planned to run Frac Daddy
in the Spiral (G3) at Turfway Park next Saturday.
“I’m leaning towards not running him in the Spiral and probably
running him in the Florida Derby. It gives him the extra week for the
throat ulcer to heal. It looks good, but I think the extra week will
help,” said McPeek, who detected a throat ulcer two weeks after Frac
Daddy’s sixth-place finish in the $400,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream
Park on Jan. 26.
The gray colt grabbed a quarter in the Holy Bull.
“He grabbed the quarter in the Holy Bull really bad. I think that
was probably more an issue than the throat. Then, again, maybe it was
the throat,” McPeek said. “It’s been really a tough one to get together.
We’ve had to wait a long time here. Another week won’t hurt him. I’m
more inclined to keep him here, because of the extra week and we can
school him a little more and he’s been training over this track.”
Frac Daddy worked in company with Pure Fun and was timed in 1:00
4/5, as was his stablemate, who won the Hollywood Starlet (G1) in her
last start.
“We put her on the outside this week. We slowed them down. Last week
they worked entirely too fast,” said McPeek, referring to a bullet
breeze in :58 2/5 on March 8.
Corey Lanerie was aboard Frac Daddy for the work and is expected to be named to ride him in the Florida Derby.
Prior to the disappointing performance in the Holy Bull, Frac Daddy
finished second in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), in which he was caught
late by Uncaptured by a neck. Frac Daddy’s sire, Scat Daddy, captured
the 2007 Florida Derby.
Pure Fun is expected to make her 2013 debut in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) at Turfway on March 24.
McPeek said Taken By the Storm, who captured a mile turf allowance
at Gulfstream Park on March 9, could take Frac Daddy’s place in the
Spiral.