If there was an Eclipse Award for top female turf sprinter, it would be hard to argue against voting for R. Larry Johnson’s Future Is Now .
The 4-year-old Great Notion filly has quietly put together as good five months as anyone in Thoroughbred racing, culminating in her stakes-record-setting victory in the $303,244 Franklin Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland Oct. 13.
Starting the year in allowance company, Future Is Now has been on fire since winning the The Very One Stakes at Pimlico Race Course May 17. She followed up in the summer at Saratoga Race Course with victories in the Intercontinental (G2T) and Smart and Fancy Stakes. Sandwiched between those efforts was a third-place run in the Caress (G3T) where she was caught at the wire to lose by a half-length after jockey Paco Lopez lost the crop.
The rejuvenation of her career, representing four of her seven lifetime victories from 14 starts, has come since Lopez took over the reins.
“It’s great that (trainer Michael Trombetta) is keeping us together,” Lopez said. “When you’re working together, everything’s pointing up.”
Despite her success, which earned her the highest weight in the Franklin field at 125 pounds, she was somewhat forgotten about by the bettors, allowed to go off at 6-1 and paying $15.76 for her victory. That number was largely skewed by the heavy 4-5 favoritism of the 3-year-old Godolphin homebred Star of Mystery , who has twice placed in grade 1 company against older males this season at Saratoga and in Dubai.
Planning to play the break, Lopez found himself on top through the opening strides before conceding the lead to Stone Silent . He then sat a comfortable trip on the rail behind the pacesetter’s fractions of :21.17 and :43.79.
Space opened for Lopez as they swung into the stretch and his filly answered when he called. He motored past Stone Silent and separated by enough to hold off the closers by 3/4 lengths. She completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.47, the fastest of 28 editions of the Franklin.
Among the closers chasing her late was Star of Mystery, who experienced a disastrous trip from the rail.
“She broke well, but then I wasn’t fast enough so I got covered up,” said her rider Flavien Prat. “She made a good run but it’s hard to make up so much ground.”
Future Is Now wins the Franklin Stakes at Keeneland
Prat found himself last of 12 turning for home but was able to weave his way between horses, defeating Pandora’s Gift by a half-length for second. Prat said he never stopped riding her the whole race and the fact she managed to finish second showcased the talent of the Charlie Appleby-trained runner.
But for the present, Johnson’s homebred Future Is Now is the one to claim the glory in the Keeneland sunshine, improving her career earnings to $601,160.
“She’s a nice filly, she gave me a great run today,” Lopez said.
She put the cherry on top of a fantastic weekend for Great Notion, Maryland’s leading sire over the last six years. One day prior at Laurel Park, his Starstruck Notion won the Maryland Million Turf and Brilliant Ice conquered the Maryland Million Classic. Great Notion stood the 2024 season Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md., for a fee of $7,500.
