Franklin Towers Digs in to take Showing Up

Clarke Ohrstrom’s Franklin Towers took the lead from the gate into upper stretch, lost it when Two Step Time surprised him to the inside, but dug in again down the lane and got his nose down on the wire to win the $75,000 Showing Up Saturday at Gulfstream Park West.

The one-mile Showing Up for 3-year-olds was the first of two stakes on the 10-race program, followed by Gypsy Eyes’ victory in the $75,000 Cellars Shiraz for 3-year-old fillies.

Ridden by Jonathan Gonzales for trainer Jane Cibelli, Franklin Towers ($13.40) hit the wire in 1:37.77 over a firm turf course. It was the City Zip gelding’s second win from four starts, both in stakes, following the July 23 Lamplighter at Monmouth Park.

“The trainer told me my horse is much better on the lead, so when I broke I put him in position,” Gonzales said. “I was waiting and waiting to push him and I forgot about the horse inside. I didn’t hear him coming. He passed me but my horse likes to fight so he came on again.”

Franklin Towers broke running from Post 2 in the seven-horse field and coasted through an opening quarter-mile of 24.99 seconds and a half of 50.09 with narrow 2-1 favorite Keystoneforvictory to his outside, Mr. Kisses tucked in along the hedge and Two Step Time saving ground in behind.

They rounded the far turn with Franklin Towers still in front until Two Step Time slipped through an opening as Mr. Kisses dropped back, wresting the lead away at the head of the stretch. Franklin Towers made up a length with a relentless rally through the final eighth of a mile and got up just in time.

Keystone for victory was a distant third, 5 ½ lengths behind the top two, followed by Copingaway, Mr. Kisses and Full Salute.

“He really did run well. I knew he’d be tough when he put up 24 and then 50 for the half. The one thing I was afraid of in this race was that there was so much speed, but he runs on the lead and he gets a big heart out of that,” Cibelli said by phone. “When they went in 50, that was good.

“When the horse came through on the rail and I thought we were in trouble,” she added. “He’s a good horse and at the eighth pole I thought we were beat but he really dug in and tried. He’s a game son of a gun that’s for sure. I saw him do that before. When he broke his maiden he did that as well. I don’t know if it’s all of a sudden he gets this surge where he says, ‘I’m not going to let this horse beat me.’ I am very proud of him.”

Gypsy Eyes Stays Unbeaten in $75,000 Cellars Shiraz: Swettenham Stud and Linda Shanahan’s Gypsy Eyes, impressive allowance winner Sept. 25 at Gulfstream Park, kept her perfect North American record intact with a two-length victory in the $75,000 Cellars Shiraz.

Favored at 2-1 in a field of 13, Gypsy Eyes ($6.60) took the lead soon after 40-1 long shot Bodacious Babe ran a quarter-mile in 23.94 seconds. The bay daughter of High Chaparral put that rival away after straightening for home and had plenty left to hold off a late charge from Dream Prospect.

The winning time was 1:40.51 over a good turf course. Dream Prospect was second with Temple Fur third.

Jockey Panici Registers Four-Win Day: Jockey Luca Panici moved into a tie for third in the Fall Turf Festival Meet standings by riding four winners from the first seven races on Saturday.

Panici visited the winner’s circle with Our Independence ($26.60) in the first race, Li’l Meatball ($4.40) in the fourth, Heaven’s Door ($4.40) in the sixth and Mystic Sky ($18) in the seventh.

Edgard Zayas leads the standings with 33 wins followed by Tyler Gaffalione at 21 and Panici and Emisael Jaramillo, each with 19.

Source: Gulfstream Park