Francatelli short price in a short Rumson field

At a short price on Saturday at Monmouth Park, Francatelli should make short work of a short field in a short race.

Listed at 3-2 on the morning line of sharp Monmouth track handicapper Brad Thomas, Francatelli faces just five foes in the $100,000 Rumson, contested over five furlongs on dirt.

Francatelli, Mychel Sanchez named to ride, exits a series of turf sprints and moves to the main track, which is a good thing based on recent stats put up by trainer Cal Lynch. During the 2021 season, Lynch has gone turf to dirt with seven horses racing in sprints and come away with three wins and two seconds, and Francatelli stands a strong chance of enhancing those numbers.

By surface-versatile stallion City Zip, 4-year-old Francatelli nearly always runs his race, with his record of 5-4-1 from 12 starts a testament to his consistency. Kept to turf racing so far this season, Francatelli is an accomplished dirt performer, too, with three wins and a second from four starts.

Winless in four starts this season, he’s run well in all those defeats and in his last visit to Monmouth he suffered through a very troubled trip finishing third in the Get Serious Stakes earlier this summer. One concern for those willing to take a short price: Francatelli returns to action on short rest, with his last start a close third on Aug. 31 in the Parx Dash.

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He should, however, get a good trip stalking a strong contested pace and has raced effectively over short-sprint trips.

Quick Tempo ships in from Chicago for trainer Chris Davis, who has named Sophie Doyle to ride. That same trainer-jockey combination took a tough beat on Sept. 4 when American Sanctuary made a clear lead in upper stretch of the $200,000 Sapling Stakes before sticking his feet in the ground and settling for second behind Double Thunder.

Quick Tempo was overmatched last out at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby, where he chased the pace and faded badly, but fits this spot much better and won’t mind the abbreviated distance. And under the Rumson’s allowance conditions 3-year-old Quick Tempo gets in at 112 pounds, getting as much as 12 pounds from his older rivals.

If Quick Tempo can clear his five rivals, all of whom possess early speed, he could be tough to catch. But if he’s hooked, the race likely is Francatelli’s.