Keeneland: Time to Dazzle wins diluted Franklin Stakes
José Ortiz rode Time to Dazzle through a narrow seam along the homestretch rail, rallying from the back of the pack to earn a 3 1/4-length win Sunday in the diluted running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Franklin Stakes at Keeneland.
The 5 1/2-furlong turf race for fillies and mares lost its 2024 winner when morning-line favorite Future Is Now was scratched Sunday morning. The 5-year-old mare was declared unsound by a Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation veterinarian, a diagnosis that met with vehement disagreement on social media from owner Tracy Mulroy.
Owner blasts vet who scratched Future Is Now.
In Our Time (5-1) and betting favorite Luna Louska (2-1) opened the race with a speed duel that was clocked at 20.65 seconds through the first quarter-mile after a nearly 55-yard run-up. Time to Dazzle (3-1), trained by Mark Casse for owner Tracy Farmer, traveled up the backstretch last of the field of seven.
After the first half-mile was run in 43.65 seconds, In Our Time put away Luna Louska, who would fade to finish last. Pondering (6-1) moved into second place while Ortiz threaded Time to Dazzle along in the one path.
Click here for Keeneland entries and results.
“Obviously the speed on paper looked like it was heavy,” Ortiz said. “When I saw Luna Louska was not in front, I knew they were going pretty fast, so I rode (Time to Dazzle) with patience. Around the turn I had to tap on the brakes a little bit and followed (Pondering). I knew the (Pondering) was going to take me to the eighth pole, and I did that. Then I found a hole on the inside, and she exploded.”
Time to Dazzle took the lead at the sixteenth pole, where the path widened as did the margin all the way to the finish. By winning she avenged her narrow, allowance loss to In Our Time at Kentucky Downs last month. Time to Dazzle was clocked at 1:02.09 on the firm turf, and she paid $8.06, $3.96 and $3.06.
In Our Time, ridden by Luis Sáez for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., finished second and returned $5.24 and $4.02. Pondering, with Tyler Gaffalione up for Brendan Walsh, came in third and paid $4.92 to show. Pipsy (5-2), who had Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons for Will Walden, wound up fourth.
A 4-year-old Not This Time filly bred in Kentucky by Dr. Rodney Orr, Time to Dazzle won for the first time since the July 2024 running of the Ontario Colleen (G3) at Woodbine. She came off two starts in 12 days at Kentucky Downs, finishing fourth Aug. 30 in the Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) and then a second by a half-length to In Our Time in a $150,000 allowance race Sept. 10.
Time to Dazzle was a $310,000 purchase at the September 2022 Keeneland yearling sale. She is 14: 4-2-1. With her $241,800 first prize Sunday, she ran her career earnings to $682,877.