Frosty Margarita could ice the field

Rudy Rodriguez has made extremely good use of the racing program at Finger Lakes the past two seasons and will try to win his second stakes of the meet Monday when he sends out Frosty Margarita as the probable favorite in a competitive edition of the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile Jack Betta Be Rite has drawn a field of seven New York-bred fillies and mares, including the second-, third-, and fourthplace finishers behind the Rodriguez-trained Frostie Anne in a no-conditions allowance race July 17. That win was the second straight at Finger Lakes for Frostie Anne, who is entered main track-only Sunday in a Saratoga allowance race.

From 2010 to 2016, Rodriguez won two races from 13 starts at Finger Lakes. Last year, he began giving more of his horses confidence-building starts at the Wine Country track and went 9 for 36. He is 9 for 20 at the current meet, including a victory by Bonita Bianca in the $75,000 New York Oaks.

Frosty Margarita, a 5-yearold daughter of Frost Giant owned and bred by Gabrielle Farm, is no longer the up-andcoming stakes runner who began her career by going 4 for 7 on the NYRA circuit with three stakes wins. She is now 7 for 29 with her last three victories coming at Finger Lakes, Laurel Park, and the Meadowlands.

But Rodriguez has managed Frosty Margarita well, and sent her to Finger Lakes in June to win a no-conditions allowance sprint. He stretched her out to a mile against Frostie Anne in her last start.

Frosty Margarita and Frostie Anne battled the final quarter-mile of that race with Frostie Anne proving a neck the best. John Davila Jr. has a return mount Monday on Frosty Margarita.

Pride of Saratoga followed up a Finger Lakes allowance win with a runner-up effort in Frostie Anne’s first victory of the meet in late June. She has been in steady training the past seven weeks for Jeremiah Englehart and has the speed to stay with Frosty Margarita early.

Jaime Rodriguez, the leading rider at Finger Lakes, stays aboard.

Beyond Discreet has finished third to Frostie Anne in her last two starts. A laterunning 4-year-old trained by Beth Miller-Saul, she finished 3 1/4 lengths behind Pride of Saratoga in June and a length behind Frosty Margarita in July.

Rosyjersey will race in her home state for the first time after winning four of her last five races. Based at the Mercury Equine Center near Lexington, Ky., with trainer Eric Reed, Rosyjersey has been tearing up the allowance ranks at Mountaineer Park and Mahoning Valley and ships in off a 15-length victory.

Satin Frost, who is 10 for 15 at Finger Lakes the last three meets, was claimed for $15,000 by trainer M. Anthony Ferraro out of an Aug. 1 optional-claiming win and will be making her stakes debut at age 7.