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Pick Pony | Oct. 14, 2024, 9:23 p.m.
R. Larry Johnson’s homebred Future Is Now surged ahead at the eighth pole and fended off a late challenge from the favorite, Star of Mystery (GB), to win the 28th running of the $350,000 Franklin (G2) for fillies and mares by three-quarters of a length on Sunday afternoon. Trained by Mike Trombetta and ridden by Paco Lopez, Future Is Now finished the 5½ furlongs on a firm turf course in 1:01.47, breaking the previous stakes record of 1:01⅗ set in 2000 by Chris’s Thunder. Stone Silent initially led, with Pipsy (IRE) and Future Is Now close behind through a fast opening quarter-mile of :21.17, while Star of Mystery was at the back of the 12-horse field.
Stone Silent held a narrow lead as they entered the final stretch, but Future Is Now surged ahead at the eighth pole. Meanwhile, Star of Mystery made a late move from the back of the pack, weaving through horses but ultimately running out of space before the finish line.
With this victory, Future Is Now has now won four stakes races, including two graded stakes, and has a record of 14 wins, 7 second-place finishes, 1 third-place finish, and 1 unplaced finish. She has earned a total of $601,160, with Sunday's win adding $169,725 to her earnings. Future Is Now is a 4-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Great Notion and is out of the Bernardini mare Past as Prelude.
Future Is Now returned $15.76, $5.70 and $4.50. Star of Mystery, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $3 and $2.48 and finished a half-length in front of Pandora’s Gift (IRE), who paid $10.88 to show under Adam Beschizza.
It was a neck back to Stone Silent, who was followed in order by Frost At Dawn, Kairyu (IRE), Pipsy, Roses for Debra, Accomplished Girl, Awesome Treat, Elm Drive and Dontlookbackatall.
The winner of Sunday’s Race 1 was Mark Stanley’s Good Temper, who was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for the 4,000thvictory of his career.
Ortiz has won five Eclipse Awards as North America’s outstanding jockey and is 2024’s leading rider nationally by wins and earnings.
The Keeneland Spring Meet’s leading rider by wins with 20, Ortiz has four victories to date during the Fall Meet.