SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Future Is Now kicked off what could be a big weekend for trainer Mike Trombetta's turf sprinters, besting favored Roses for Debra and Kaufymaker in a three-way blanket finish in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes for fillies and mares over Saratoga’s Mellon turf course. Trombetta will go for another turf-sprint stakes win Saturday when he has multiple graded stakes winner Arzak entered in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes. Like the intercontinental, the Jaipur will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs. Maryland-bred Future Is Now, sent away at double-digit odds despite having won The Very One Stakes three weeks ago at Pimlico, is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in her home state. She is by leading Maryland sire Great Notion and races as a homebred for R. Larry Johnson, who bred and sold Belmont Stakes entrant Mindframe. Both Future Is Now and Mindframe are from multiple generations of a family developed by Johnson, beginning with his foundation mare Ran's Chick, who he purchased for $2,400 at a Timonium sale in 1978. Future Is Now, a 4-year-old filly, has now won 5 of 11 career starts. She flashed speed in some of her better early efforts but recently has developed the ability to sit just off the pace and pounce. :: DRF's Belmont Stakes Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, and more  Trombetta said maturity has been the key in each of her stakes victories. “She’s learned how to sit off of horses and run when she’s needed,” Trombetta said. “It’s really changed things for her in the last couple of races. It’s really starting to come together for her.” Roses for Debra, who won a pair of stakes last summer at Saratoga, broke with her head in front, but then was allowed to settle, conceding the early lead to Kaufymaker. The latter, making her first start since October, was hustled from post 2 in the starting field of nine to lead through a sharp opening quarter in 21.76 seconds on a turf course officially rated firm despite a strong storm about a half hour prior to post time. Future Is Now and Paco Lopez settled in second, a length back. Exiting the far turn, Lopez didn’t let Kaufymaker get away, turning up the pressure on the leader, and inching up to put a head in front. But Roses for Debra was in the clear outside with dead aim, lowering herself for a final charge as the wire loomed. At the wire, Future Is Now, between horses, held on by a head over Roses for Debra, with Kaufymaker another neck back on the inside. The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:01.35. Future Is Now paid $22.80 to win and earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure. After the top three, it was 1 3/4 lengths back to Gal in a Rush in fourth, followed, in order, by Run for the Hills, Spicybug, Lady Milagro, Medalla Match, and Everyoneloveslinda. Love Reigns was scratched. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.