Time to dazzle. (Keeneland photo)
Keeneland Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tracy Farmers Time to dazzle shot through a gap between the rail and setting the pace In Our Time approached the sixteenth pole and pulled away to win the 29th running of the $400,000 Franklin (G2) for fillies and mares by 3¼ lengths on Sunday afternoon.
Time to Dazzle, trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ortiz, completed the 5½ furlongs on firm turf in 1:02.09. It is the second victory in the race for Casse, who won the 2020 running race with Got Stormy.
In Our Time and favorite Luna Louska dueled through fast early fractions of :20.65 and :43.65 while Time to Dazzle raced at the back of the seven-horse field.
At the top of the stretch, Ortiz chose to move inward, where the space began to open up as In Our Time moved a path outward. With clear sails, Time to Dazzle shot past the leader and cruised to victory.
Time to Dazzle, a sales graduate from Keeneland, is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Not This Time out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Staria. With her second stakes victory, Time to Dazzle improved her record to 14-4-2-1 and increased her winnings to $682,877 with Sunday’s $241,800 check.
Time to Dazzle earned $8.06, $3.96 and $3.06. In Our Time, ridden by Luis Saez, returned $5.24 and $4.02 to finish ahead of Pondering, who paid $4.92 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.
It was a neck back for Pipsy (IRE) in fourth place, followed by Cart Girl Sam, Won Happy Mama and Luna Louska.
Racing resumes Wednesday with an eight-race schedule beginning at 1:00 PM ET.
Quotes from the $400,000 Franklin (G2) at Keeneland
Jose Ortiz (winning rider of winner Time to Dazzle): “Obviously the speed looked tough on paper. When I saw that (favorites) Luna Louska wasn’t leading, I knew they were going quite fast, so I rode her (Time to Dazzle) with patience. Around the corner I had to tap the brakes a bit and follow the 1 (Pondering). I knew the 1 would take me to the eighth pole, and I did that. Then I found a gap on the inside and they exploded.”
Tracy Farmer (winning owner, who purchased Time to Dazzle for $310,000 at Keeneland’s 2022 Yearling Sale in September): “We had hoped for this run, and she showed that today. What a day. Beautiful day, beautiful filly and all the fans – what could be better? It’s super (to win a certain stakes) at Keeneland. They did a fantastic job here.”
Luis Saez (rider of runner-up In Our Time): “Quite a good trip, just too much pressure. I saw the winner coming in, but at that point we were already beaten. There was nothing we could have done.”
About her anxiety and grumbling in the Paddock: “Normally she is like that. She is a filly who always feels good. She broke very well in the race, but we had pressure on us all the way. But she tried.”
Tyler Gaffalione (third place rider Pondering): “She put herself where she wanted to be. I had a nice position to follow the speed. I had a really nice drive in. As she came around the bend in the stretch, she laid it out for me. I think the ground came off her today, but took away from her finish a little bit, but it was a great effort overall.”
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