'Cherry On Top': Frosted Departure Caps McPeek's Big Weekend In Oaklawn's Closing-Day Lake Ouachita

Frosted Departure capped a memorable weekend for trainer Kenny McPeek with an easy victory in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Sunday afternoon at Oaklawn.

Frosted Departure’s victory came on the heels of McPeek becoming the first trainer since Ben Jones in 1952 to sweep the Kentucky Oaks  (G1) (Thorpedo Anna) and Kentucky Derby (G1) (Mystik Dan) in the same year. Both horses were stakes winners this year at Oaklawn, with Mystik Dan winning the Southwest (G3) Feb. 3 and Thorpedo Anna capturing the Fantasy (G2) March 30. Mystik Dan also ran third in the Arkansas Derby.(G1) March 30 at the Hot Springs, Ark. track.

The Lake Ouachita mirrored Frosted Departure’s first race this season at Oaklawn, a front-running 7¼-length allowance victory Dec. 15. Frosted Departure’s final time (1:43.06) was the fastest for 1 1/16 miles in December in Oaklawn history.

In the Lake Ouachita, Oaklawn’s closing-day feature, Frosted Departure ($11.40) again controlled the pace from the start under Julien Leparoux and strolled home by 4½ lengths. Strong Tide, a 40-1 outsider, and Nautical Star, dead-heated for second. They finished three lengths ahead of Ben Franklin, who was followed, in order, by Silver Prospector, defending champion Ain’t Life Grand and Law Professor. Alexander Helios was a late scratch.

Silver Prospector, the 5-2 favorite, was bidding to give Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his record 72^nd victory at the 2023-2024 Oaklawn meeting. Asmussen won two races earlier on the card and finished with 71, equaling the late Cole Norman’s single-season record, set in 2003.

Frosted Departure, a 4-year-old Frosted colt out of the More Than Ready mare Undeterred, completed 1 1/16 miles over a muddy, sealed surface in 1:43.83. Frosted Departure was exiting an allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles April 13 at Keeneland.

Bred in Kentucky by Alastar Thoroughbred Company LLC and owned by R.T Racing Stable (Ramon Tallaj), Frosted Departure has a 6-2-3 record from 23 lifetime starts and earnings of $736,381. The Lake Ouachita was his second career stakes victory. Frosted Departure also won the 2022 Renaissance Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters at Oaklawn.

R T Racing bought Frosted Departure for $150,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale, where he was consigned by Gainesway.

Pending Arkansas Racing Commission approval, Oaklawn is scheduled to resume racing Dec. 6.

LAKE OUACHITA QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY JULIEN LEPAROUX/FROSTED DEPARTURE: “That was the plan, go and get the lead. The plan was to break good and get the lead. I was able to back up the pace a little bit. We got a nice, easy pace and he kept on going. The horse is improving and he ran big today.”

WINNING TRAINER KENNY McPEEK/FROSTED DEPARTURE: “That’s like the cherry on top of the cake or something, isn’t it? (after winning this weekend’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks). Wow! Just really proud. Amazing ride by Julien (Leparoux), too. Just let him cruise up there. When he gets his way, he’s brilliant. When it doesn’t go his way, sometimes he’s not so. But the way it set up, it looked like he was the speed and Julien did a great job.”