BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Frosty O Toole will try to snap a string of two runner-up finishes when the Florida-bred filly heads to the post in the $100,000 Serena’s Song at Monmouth Park Sunday. The mile-and-70-yard contest has attracted a field of eight fillies and mares with Frosty O Toole drawing post four.
The Mike Dini-trained Frosty O Toole won a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming against fillies and mares going a mile-and-a-sixteenth over a good main track at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 7, but could not repeat in two starts since, both the same distance.
She was three-and-a-half lengths behind winner Charming Way in the $100,000 Nellie Morse at Laurel Park on Feb. 17 and two-and-a-half lengths shy of Bluelightspecial in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming at Oaklawn Park on April 4.
The well-traveled daughter of Frosted has raced at eight different tracks during her 13-race career and looks to improve on her only previous start at Monmouth Park. She finished seventh there against second level, $30,000 optional claiming fillies and mares going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf in August.
Frosty O Toole is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and sports a career ledger of three wins, two seconds and a third with earnings of $157,375. Bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbarzon and Godolphin, Frosty O Toole is out of O’ Toole by Distorted Humor.
She sold at Ocala Breeders Sales during the 2021 October Yearling Sale where Joseph Barbazon purchased her for $35,000 out of the Stuart Morris consignment.
Frosty O Toole is 5-1 on the morning line and Daniel Centeno will rider her from post four.
Trainer Chad Brown brings Occult to Monmouth where the 4-year-old filly is set to make her first start of the year.
The daughter of Into Mischief finished last year with two third-place finishes after winning the Monmouth Park Oaks (Grade 3) on July 29. Occult was third in the Cotillion (G1) won by Ceiling Crusher over a sloppy mile-and-a-sixteenth in September before losing to Xigera in the nine-furlong Mother Goose (G2) on Oct. 28 during the Belmont at Big A meet.
Occult is out of Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker and will race in the colors of owner Alpha Delta Stables LLC.
She is the 4-5 morning line favorite and jockey Javier Castellano will guide her from post seven.
Venti Valentine is the 9-2 second choice with two seconds and a third in her last three races, all in stakes against state-bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct.
She was second to Fingal’s Cave in the $100,000 Bay Ridge on Dec. 28 then was just a neck shy of Security Code in the $100,000 Broadway on Feb. 17. She exits a third-place finish in the $97,000 Biogio’s Rose won by Stonewall Star on March 24.
Trainer Jorge Abreu has named Paco Lopez to ride Venti Valentine from post eight.
Rounding out the field for the Serena’s Song are Traverse with Samy Camacho aboard, Cheetera (Chi) and rider Joe Bravo, Vincent Cheminaud will be aboard Kathleen O, Beach Daze and jockey Adam Bowman and Sunset Louise will carry Nik Juarez.