Ancient Brown has upset potential in Franklin Square Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Fierce Lady and Big Q are certainly the most accomplished runners entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Franklin Square Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct. Both, however, could be vulnerable in the 6 1/2-furlong race.

Fierce Lady, winner of the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga last summer, is returning from a four-month layoff with a light work tab. Big Q bombed as the 1-2 favorite in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes due in part to her inability to handle an off track and an inside post. She is drawn in post 2 on Saturday, and the forecast, if accurate, could create an off track.

Perhaps an alternative to the favorites is Ancient Brown, whose only start resulted in a 4 3/4-length maiden victory at 9-1 odds on Dec. 21. In that race, she was steadied behind horses twice down the backside and then ran by a horse who had a clear lead turning for home.

“Visually, it was a good race, better than her Beyer number [57] indicates,” trainer David Donk said. “I liked her. I had a little bit of gate issues right before that and the gate crew did a great job. She broke a half-step slow the other day, but that’s okay. It’s not always how fast you ran or how far you ran, but who’d you beat. I don’t know if she beat a whole lot, but this is the next logical progression.”

Bella Invasion, who finished fourth to Ancient Brown, came back to win in maiden special weight company but earned only a 42 Beyer. The fifth- and sixth-place finishers did not run well in their subsequent start.

Ancient Brown will break from post 6 under Eric Cancel.

Fierce Lady was talented enough to win her debut by six lengths last summer at Belmont going five furlongs, so she has shown the ability to fire fresh. She had the rail that day and will have it again Saturday under Manny Franco.

Big Q won the Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct by five lengths in November, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, before running sixth in the Fifth Avenue. With Jose Lezcano opting to ride Firenze Freedom for Jason Servis, John Velazquez has picked up the mount on Big Q for Gary Gullo.

A Freud of Mama upset the Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes at odds of 23-1 when she caught a muddy track and benefitted from a speed duel in what was her dirt debut.

Violent Point’s lone win from five starts came in an off-the-turf maiden race. Trainer Mark Casse believes this filly’s future will be on the turf.

Playtone, who beat Violent Point in a Dec. 23 allowance race on dirt, and Myawaya, a late-running winner of a maiden race Nov. 10, complete the field.