Chief contenders in Franklin Stakes know each other well
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – There are some scores to be settled in Sunday’s Grade 2, $350,000 Franklin Stakes for fillies and mares sprinting on the Keeneland turf.
The last time Star of Mystery lost to a filly, it was Frost At Dawn in March at Meydan. And the last time Roses for Debra lost, she finished behind Future Is Now – who herself dropped a summer decision to Dontlookbackatall. They all meet up as part of an overflow field of 16 entrants, 12 of whom will be permitted to start in a race that could have Breeders’ Cup implications.
The Franklin, less than three weeks shy of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, in the past has produced starters for the Turf Sprint, a race that has been kind to fillies and mares. In 2022, when the Breeders’ Cup was held at Keeneland, Caravel won the Franklin and the Turf Sprint.
Frost At Dawn and Star of Mystery’s performances against males would seem to place them in good stead to move on. And, Frost At Dawn has shipped across the Atlantic with the express goal of targeting the Breeders’ Cup.
“We didn’t qualify for [it] in Europe, so we decided to try here,” said Michelle Gross, who is overseeing the 3-year-old in Kentucky for trainer William Knight. “She got [to Keeneland] Sunday after a couple days in quarantine at Churchill. She’s doing very well and she traveled well.”
Frost At Dawn won the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint in March, with Star of Mystery second by 2 1/2 lengths in her first loss of the year as both faced older males. They met again in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on March 30. This time, Star of Mystery recovered from an awkward break to be second by three-quarters of a length to California Spangle, while Frost At Dawn weakened in the final furlong to be 10th after pressing the pace.
Star of Mystery came to the United States for Charlie Appleby and had a strong campaign at Saratoga. She was very unsettled in the paddock for her U.S. debut and first start in more than two months, expending a good deal of energy prior to finishing third in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes behind record-setting divisional leader Cogburn and multiple graded stakes winner Arzak. She was much better prior to winning the Grade 3 Quick Call against 3-year-old colts, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 107. She and Roses for Debra are the only two entrants with triple-digit numbers in the field.
Star of Mystery comes into the Franklin off a layoff of more than two months, not by design, as weather disrupted turf racing the rest of the summer at Saratoga. She has drawn the rail under Flavien Prat and will need to work out a trip.
Frost At Dawn should be more forwardly placed, and should relish the firm turf she’ll get. After her Meydan campaign, she finished 10th in the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York behind leading European sprinters Bradsell and Believing on giving ground, and then was third in the EBF Fillies Stakes on even softer ground at Ayr.
Roses for Debra opened her 2024 campaign with a score in the Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway here at Keeneland. She then was second by a head to Future Is Now in the Grade 2 Intercontential, and third behind that one in the Smart N Fancy at Saratoga. She righted the ship by getting up late by just a neck, although while very confidently handled, in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters, setting a course record on the Tapeta.
Trainer Christophe Clement has them coming and going with Roses for Debra and Dontlookbackatall, as Dontlookbackatall would like to be a bit more forwardly placed than her stablemate.
Dontlookbackatall and Future Is Now, trained by Mike Trombetta, should have similar position early. Future Is Now won the The Very One at Pimlico, then left her home state to win the Intercontinental. She led in the lane before finishing third by a half-length in the Grade 3 Caress, won by Dontlookbackatall, after rider Paco Lopez lost his crop late. She rebounded for a pace-pressing win in the Smart N Fancy.
Dontlookbackatall and Pipsy, who should gun from post 11 to be part of the pace, are cutting well back to 5 1/2 furlongs after recent efforts at 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs. Dontlookbackatall was second in the Grade 2 Ladies Turf Sprint to Ag Bullet. Pipsy was beaten just a half-length while second in the Grade 2 Music City, bested in the final strides in a game effort.
Pandora’s Gift led late and was second by a neck to Roses for Debra in the Masters in her U.S. debut.
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