Force Freeze eased past his opponents to win the GP Sprint Championship at Gulfstream Park
Peter Walder trained 7-year-old gelding, Force Freeze, wasn’t at the conditioner’s barn until October last year, and after making his debut in the United States, the son of Forest Camp was sent to Dubai where he spent the whole of 2009, 2010 and a good part
of 2011 there. He wasn’t as successful as he should’ve been, winning just three starts there.
However, he was a different horse when he became a part of Walder’s string, turning in two narrow placed finishes and finally winning a stakes race under Walder’s name.
Force Freeze was sent as the 4 to 5 favourite in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship at about seven furlongs under Paco Lopez on 18 February, 2012.
Saeed Naser Al Romaithi’s Force Freeze won his 2012 debut sprint with ease, as he toyed with the strong field over the Gulfstream Park’s dirt course.
In the $150,000 sprint, Force Freeze swiftly broke from the gate, and had to be alert of the pacesetter, Amanecer De Oro, who was making rapid progress on the outside, but was kept honest by Force Freeze.
Out of mare Antifreeze by It’s Freezing, Force Freeze diligently contested the pace, and took charge of proceedings when he turned for home, and it was game over in the stretch as, Force Freeze drew clear of his opponents and posted a 3 ¾ lengths victory
over runner up, Troilus, and covered the seven furlong distance in 1 minute and 20.71 seconds, while Capt. Candyman Can finished third on the day.
“I had so much confidence in my horse. He’s just so fast," Lopez said. "I worked him a couple times and he worked unbelievable. I thought he would be able to go the extra distance. When I rode him at Monmouth last year he was so wide he ran much farther
than six furlongs that day. He’s so fast out of the gate. I was able to get perfect position. He was going so easily and when I asked him he just ran even faster.”
His return to the United States was in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park last year, where he missed out by a half length, and then against lost a narrow race to, Amazombie, by a neck in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs last fall.
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