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Hall of Fame Profile: Frayed

Original article written by Dan Kauffman posted 8 years 2 weeks ago

Regally bred by The Steward and sold at auction for a whopping eight figures, Frayed needed just 11 races to cement himself as one of the SIM's greatest turf routers and was equally prolific as a stud, more than returning Sarah Chase's substantial investment.

Frayed's sire was Deep Impact, a Japanese turf star who won the Japanese Triple Crown and finished with 12 wins in 14 starts. He sired seven millionaires, with his progeny earning more than $39 million on the track.

Frayed's dam was Kismet, who went 8-for-11 for earnings of more than $1.5 million in her racing career -- including three Grade 1 victories and a runner-up effort in the Steward's Cup Filly and Mare Turf -- before earning Broodmare of the Year honors. Eleven of her 14 foals became millionaires -- including Hall of Famers Atlantis, and Feature Attraction -- with only one earning less than $600,000. Those 14 foals averaged more than $2 million in earnings each.

Workouts quickly showed that Frayed would be a force to reckon with, as he posted the second- and third-fastest 5-furlong turf times in Year 20 before his debut later that year (only Born Wild ran faster). He would also post the second-fastest time in Year 21, trailing only half-brother Atlantis.

Frayed spent all of his juvenile and 3-year-old seasons at Australia Race Course, and would quickly become a legend Down Under -- although he had a small setback in his debut. He finished second, a length behind future Grade 1 stakes winner Lord, in a maiden special weight race for juvenile colts and geldings in Year 20, Week 12. It would be his only defeat for more than two years.

Two weeks later in another maiden special weight race for juvenile colts and geldings -- this one over 1 1/8 miles -- Frayed showed his true talent, pulling away to a 5 1/2-length victory with an 80 speed figure to close Year 20. It foreshadowed much bigger things to come.

Frayed was put to the test in his first start as a 3-year-old in Year 21, Week 4. Not only would it be his first stakes race, but it would be a Grade 1 to boot -- the Brisbane Derby over 1 1/4 miles. Three of the other four challengers (Densetsu, Lord and Tom Sawyer) had previously won stakes outings, with Lord, who had already turned aside Frayed once, winning the Grade 1 Hail the Queen Stakes to close the previous year. However, Frayed was up to the challenge, finding room near the rail on the far turn and blowing past Densetsu before pulling away to a win of more than three lengths with a 79 speed figure. Now everyone in Australia knew Frayed had arrived.

Four weeks later, Frayed was even more dominant in a stunning victory in the Grade 1, 1 1/2-mile Melbourne Derby. None of the other four challengers -- including Densetsu and Lord -- could match Frayed's phenomenal final gear as he hit the wire seven lengths clear, his superiority stamped with an exclamation point and a 78 speed figure.

It was more of the same three weeks later in the Grade 1, 1 1/2-mile Australian Derby. Neither a new challenger -- Black Messiah, coming off two graded stakes victories -- not a familiar foe in Dusk Til Dawn, could come close to Frayed, who romped to another win of more than six lengths with an 83 speed figure.

With nothing else to prove against that year's 3-year-old challengers, Frayed took on a bigger challenge to close his Year 21 season, facing older horses for the first time in the Grade 1, $1 million Cox Trophy, contested over 1 1/4 miles. Most believed Frayed's biggest threat was two-time Caulfield Trophy winner Ile de Paris, who would win the Melbourne Trophy two weeks later to wrap up his career with more than $2.2 million in earnings. Sounds of Victory, who had three significant Grade 1 wins on his record -- including the Sydney Trophy two weeks prior -- and Japanese Derby winner Vimy Ridge also were considered threats. But in reality, there were no threats, as once again none of the challengers could match Frayed's late acceleration and he rolled to an 82 speed figure in a five-length victory over Ile de Paris to cap one of the most dominant seasons ever seen by a 3-year-old Down Under. His South Pacific Champion Three Year Old Colt honor was a no-brainer.

Year 22 began the same way Year 21 ended for Frayed -- with yet another comprehensive triumph in the Grade 1 Australian Classic over 1 1/4 miles. Vimy Ridge took another crack at upsetting the dark brown colt, but could only watch as Frayed blasted to a win of more than six lengths with a career-best 84 speed figure for his sixth straight win -- five straight in Grade 1 outings.

Finally, it was time for a new challenge and a change of scenery. Frayed made the long flight to America and Long Island Park for the Grade 2, 1 1/4-mile Caesar Augustus Handicap in Week 5. Lionize, the Steward's Cup Juvenile Turf champion in Year 20 and the Islands Horse of the Year and Champion Three Year Old Colt the previous year, was the top challenger -- and he gave Frayed a good battle up front, posting a 78 speed figure and making the Australian legend earn it. He did, hitting the wire a length in front with an 83 speed figure to keep his winning streak going.

Four weeks later, Frayed was in Miami for the Grade 2, 1 1/2-mile Miami Turf Handicap. Paris Cubed, a Grade 1 winner coming off two graded stakes wins, was the top threat out of the four challengers, but most people expected Frayed to be much the best -- and he was, showcasing his breathtaking stretch drive in a 5 1/2-length victory with a 78 speed figure that made it eight straight wins.

Two big races remained on Frayed's to-do list before standing at stud. In Week 12, he traveled to Metropolitan Park in Illinois for the Grade 1 Chicago Million, contested over 1 1/4 miles. It was certainly the toughest field Frayed had ever faced, including:

* Fish, a four-time Grade 1 winner who had rolled off 10 straight victories since a horrible debut as a juvenile more than two years before. His career speed figures, including a 93 and two 88s, were actually superior to Frayed's.

* Zinfandel's Story, who had won two straight Desert Duty Free titles. However, Fish had bested him by 3 1/2 lengths three weeks earlier in the Grade 1 Everest Stakes.

* Lionize, who had given Frayed his toughest challenge in recent memory seven weeks before.

* Ramses II, the Steward's Cup Juvenile champion in Year 20, in which he earned North American Horse of the Year and North American Champion Two Year Old Colt honors. He was the Louisville Derby runner-up in Year 21, but this was only his second-ever turf outing.

It came down to Frayed and Fish, who dueled in an epic stretch run, with Frayed digging hard to keep the hard-charging Fish from passing on the outside. In a photo finish -- with the result confirmed only after a couple anxious minutes -- Frayed prevailed by a nostril. Both ran 93 speed figures, with Zinfandel's Story (87) and Lionize (86) finishing two lengths back.

For four weeks, the buildup for the rematch between Frayed and Fish in the $3 million Steward's Cup Turf, covering 1 1/2 miles at Arcadia Park in California, took center stage. It was as if Tachycardia (a strong filly with six wins in her last seven starts, all graded stakes, including a Grade 1) and Looking At The Sun (a winner of seven straight, including the Ireland's Champion Stakes three weeks prior) -- two quality contenders -- were afterthoughts.

As it turned out, they mostly were. Tachycardia ran well in finishing third, but the real battle was once again between Frayed and Fish. Frayed went outside to take the lead with a furlong to go, but this time -- and for the first time in more than two years -- Fish's final surge was better and he edged Frayed by a neck in front of a standing-only crowd. Fish posted an 83 speed figure, Frayed an 82.

Frayed finished with a record of 11: 9-2-0 and earnings just shy of $2.5 million. His progeny were equally prolific, earning more than $43 million on the track with 10 millionaires:

* Knot, 11-for-19, almost $2.4 million, Steward's Cup Filly and Mare Turf champion, European Horse of the Year, European Champion Older Female.

* Splintered, 8-for-13, almost $1.5 million, six Grade 1 wins, South American Horse of the Year, South American Champion Older Male.

* Caterwaul, 15-for-22, almost $1.4 million, Japan Trophy champion, Asian Horse of the Year, Asian Champion Older Male.

* Seal, 12-for-21, almost $1.3 million, eight graded stakes wins (three Grade 1s), South American Horse of the Year, South American Champion Older Male.

* Shahir'ra, 7-for-8, more than $1.25 million, International Oaks and Louisville Bunburette champion

* Tattered, 10-for-18, more than $1.2 million, five graded stakes wins (three Grade 1s), one of the greatest studs in the SIM with progeny earnings approaching $120 million.

* Celebrity Sighting, 8-for-23, almost $1.2 million, four graded stakes wins.

* Rockappella, 6-for-10, more than $1.1 million, Steward's Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and International Oaks champion.

* Unshakable, 11-for-25, almost $1.1 million, eight graded stakes wins (three Grade 1s).

* Roar of the Fire, 9-for-22, more than $1 million, six graded stakes wins.


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