Iron Orchard wins Frizette photo; Ground Support upsets Miss Grillo

Iron Orchard showed a couple of new dimensions in winning the $400,000 Frizette (G1) at Aqueduct on Saturday. Not only did the daughter of Authentic successfully transition from a restricted company to open, but she also showed the versatility to win from off the pace after leading gate-to-wire in two previous starts.

The class hike meant Iron Orchard's margin of victory in the Frizette -- a nose over longshot Rileytole -- was much narrower than her 5 1/2-length romp against auction maidens and 6 3/4-length tally in the Seeking the Ante S. versus New York-breds. However, Iron Orchard did race several paths off the rail for much of the one-mile test.

Iron Orchard's win was aided by a quick pace of :22.49, :44.84, and 1:09.25 set by Carmel Coast, who was narrowly favored in the betting over Iron Orchard. But the runner-up performance by Rileytole, who was sent off at nearly 35-1, perhaps was better. Rileytole was never more than a half-length behind Carmel Coast through the opening half, lost position around the far turn and upper stretch, but re-rallied inside of Iron Orchard to miss in a photo.

"I'm not going to lie, I thought the first 200 yards into the race, 'man, I've done a bad job training this filly,' because she relaxed more than I wanted her to and I was a little nervous, but you've just got to look back and say 'God, what a good ride,'" said Danny Gargan, who trains Iron Orchard for CSLR Racing Partners and R. A. Hill Stable.

The ride was provided by Joel Rosario, who also guided Napoleon Solo to a dominating win in the Champagne (G1) in the next race. Iron Orchard covered the course in 1:35.97 over a fast track and paid $6.90.

Iron Orchard earned 10 qualifying points toward the 2026 Kentucky Oaks (G1), while Rileytole earned five points. Five Bars, third and 4 1/4 lengths behind Rileytole, earned three points. Steer Clear and Lovely Christina, the four- and fifth-place finishers in the Frizette, earned two points and one point, respectively.

Gargan was non-committal about a potential start in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) for Iron Orchard, who was reared by the stakes-placed Onebrethatatime, a daughter of Brethren.

There was a bigger upset in the $200,000 Miss Grillo (G2), which offered a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). Ground Support, a 12-1 chance, led wire-to-wire to win by two lengths under Adam Beschizza.

Ground Support continues to surprise bettors. She was sent off at 100-1 in her debut at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 30, and wound up winning by three parts of a length with a stalk-and-pounce journey. In the Miss Grillo, she basically inherited a lead no one else was interested in.

"I kind of didn't expect her quite on the lead, but no one really went, so Adam kind of had to go – she was keen early. She looked like she did it fairly easily," trainer Kelsey Danner said.

Ground Support maintained a steady lead of around a length until upper stretch, when she edged away a bit. She completed 1 1/16 miles on firm ground in 1:43.32 and returned $26.86.

The top three betting choices occupied the minor slots in the field of 11, with 2-1 favorite Deep Learning a half-length in front of Untapable S. winner Quiet Street. Fille d'Oro was fourth.

A Florida-bred daughter of Army Mule, Ground Support races for NBS Stable. She was reared by Arch Support, an Arch mare who finished second in the 2010 edition of the Miss Grillo (G3).