‘Frosty’s’ big following – the champ with a fan base

It is one thing to be a triple G1 winner and a major contender for Breeders' Cup honours, but quite another to be so taken to the hearts of race crowds they are chanting the horse's name and demanding 'selfies' be taken with the budding superstar.

Frosted, Godolphin's flagship in the United States, is indeed that superstar. They have taken to screaming and yelling his name whenever he races. That's something.

The hottest merchandise on the Saratoga backstretch this week are blue Godolphin caps with the name Frosted emblazoned on the front. His trainer Kiaran McLaughlin could make a quick 'buck' on the side if he stocked his golf buggy with caps and started selling them in the mornings.

Seriously, though, Frosted is now one of the most popular horses in training in North America. Crowds assembled around his No.4 tree in the beautiful paddock before Saturday's G1 Whitney Stakes, a lingering reminder that this horse has a massive fan base that continues to grow.

"I've never quite been in this position before," McLaughlin says. "Everybody loves Frosted. The fans are from 5 to 95 years. Whether it is the name, his grey colour, or his class - or his presence - I just don't know. But I certainly do know that so many people are in love with this horse.

"It might be his name. It's a great name. The kids call him Frosty. I think it is really neat to see the following he has attracted," he added.

McLaughlin has been training more than two decades and been around horses all his life. But Frosted is giving him and his stable staff an experience to relish and savour. There is no pressure, he stresses. "Having a horse as popular as this is the fun part," he points out.

"It's a pleasure for me personally. We put pressures on ourselves every day to try to do the best for each horse," he explains.

Then, a horse such as Frosted comes along. "He's a special horse. He has a great mind. He has no issues, he's a real pleasure to have in the barn."

If it is possible for horses to possess charisma, then Frosted has it. "When he comes out of his stall, he feels like he is the boss, the King. He has a presence about him that is really neat," his trainer reports.

"On raceday, he gets pumped up. He's happy. That's what makes him so good - he gets pumped up. It can be a little tough to put a saddle on him. But that's him," he points out.

Frosted has done next to nothing since his effortless win in the Whitney. He went for a morning walk at Greentree today (Monday) and he has hardly left an oat in the feed bin, McLaughlin says.

"He was very happy after his win on Saturday. He was screaming at the girls (the fillies stabled at Greentree), even though we thought he might be a little tired. He walked back to the barn very proudly."

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed will discuss plans for Frosted with John Ferguson, Godolphin's chief executive and racing manager, Jimmy Bell, Godophin's representative in America, and trainer McLaughlin.

"Frosted is a very important horse," McLaughlin says. "Sheikh Mohammed refers to him as 'The Grey Horse.' It is great to have Sheikh Mohammed's input," he adds.