Future Is Now holds off Star of Mystery, sets stakes record with Franklin triumph

LEXINGTON, KY. — Future Is Now’s present continues to be bright on Sunday, as the mare scored her fourth stakes victory of the year in emphatic fashion with a stakes-record time as she held off hard-luck Star of Mystery in the Grade 2, $350,000 Franklin Stakes for fillies and mares sprinting on the Keeneland turf.

That purse figure includes $50,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, which the top two, born in Maryland and Great Britain, respectively, were not eligible for.

Keeneland was able to rebound to run Sunday’s last three races, including the Franklin, with adjusted post times after a power outage that affected the front of the house, as well as crucial pieces such as the starting gate, suspended operations for a time in early evening. The Franklin was run about 50 minutes after its scheduled post time.

But when that time came, Future Is Now was prepared. The filly and Paco Lopez sat in a stalking third, just about 1 1/2 lengths back, as Stone Silent, who had drawn in off the also-eligible list, led Pipsy through a sharp opening quarter in 21.17 seconds. Future Is Now made her bid in the two-path coming to the stretch, shook off Stone Silent to open daylight, and then held sway by three-quarters at the wire, as Star of Mystery led a scramble of late runners vying for the placings.

“The filly was so great today,” Lopez said. “She was very comfortable during the race. She was perfect. After a little breather, I asked her and she passed between the horses, no problem at all, and she gave me a big kick.”

Future Is Now ($15.76) stopped the clock in 1:01.47 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf rated firm. That eclipsed the previous stakes mark of 1:01.72 set by Chris’s Thunder in 2000, putting an exclamation point on a campaign in which the filly, an R. Larry Johnson homebred trained by Mike Trombetta, won the The Very One in her home state of Maryland, and the Grade 2 Intercontinental and the Smart N Fancy in New York.

Favored Star of Mystery, who had not run since mid-July — and not by design, as the weather interrupted turf racing in Saratoga — was held up after breaking from the rail in the full field of 12, and found herself last around the far turn. She knifed her way through traffic, splitting horses late, but just ran out of time to reel-in the leader, finishing second by a half-length over the longshot Pandora's Gift, who edged Stone Silent by a neck for third.

“She broke well, but I just wasn’t fast enough,” jockey Flavien Prat, aboard Star of Mystery, said. “We got covered up. I found myself a bit too far [back] and had to make up that ground. When you come from behind, you have some [traffic]… I mean, she had a run all the way down the lane, but I had to pick spot after spot.”

They were followed, in order, by Frost At Dawn, Kairyu, Pipsy, second choice Roses for Debra, who never threatened, Accomplished Girl, Awesome Treat, Elm Drive, and Dontlookbackatall.

Ortiz wins 4K

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. opened Sunday’s card by piloting Good Temper to win a maiden special weight, marking the 4,000th victory of his career.

Ortiz, 32, began riding in 2011 in Puerto Rico, and his win total includes 95 victories there before moving his tack to New York.

“You always work so hard,” Ortiz reflected. “We kept working hard every single day, and we started getting winners. Thank God, we are here and we are healthy to get to this beautiful number 4,000. Since I got here, people have supported me big time. Without the trainers and the owners, this would not be possible. I am here because of them. They give me a great opportunity so I am on good horses. … I just have to thank God first. I started in New York in 2011, and they opened their home for me, supported me big time every day. I feel like they respect me as one of them, so I have to thank all the trainers and owners who gave me the opportunities. Without them, nobody would probably know me right now.”

Ortiz’ career accomplishments include the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. He has won two runnings of the Belmont Stakes with Mo Donegal in 2022 and Creator in 2016, as well as 20 Breeders’ Cup races.