Future Is Now (center) clicks the photo for the win. (Susie Raisher)
Arzak Sees G2 Troy as Long-Term Target
Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Notes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Michael Trombetta shipped in a pair of stakes horses to Saratoga Race Course for two of the most contentious races at the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and he was driving home a winner on Sunday after seeing Future Is Now take Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental presented by MTV Solutions and Arzak run second in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing.
The Maryland-based Trombetta may have sensed a good omen on Opening Day of the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival when Maryland-bred Studlydoright stepped up to win the Listed $150,000 Tremont at odds of 13-1 for trainer John “Jerry” Robb.
A day later, Trombetta saddled R. Larry Johnson’s Maryland-homebred Future Is Now to a pace-pressing head score, staving off the late bid of dual Grade 3-winner Roses for Debra to win the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares.
Future Is Now exited post 5-of-9 under Paco Lopez and chased the pace of Kaufymaker through splits of 21.76 seconds and 44.24 over the firm footing before making a two-wide move into the lane to take command with an eighth of a mile to run. Kaufymaker battled on gamely with Roses for Debra powering into the picture with an outside rush, but Future Is Now would not be denied the win in a final time of 1:01.35.
Trombetta said he appreciated the head’s up ride from Lopez to get the jump as Future Is Now garnered a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He was able to pull that off with a really good horse trying to run her down, so that was very exciting,” Trombetta said.
The speedy Future Is Now has often been the one to dictate terms, but has recently demonstrated the ability to sit off the pace and pounce as she did in her score in the five-furlong The Very One on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
“It’s allowed her to do better that she will rate off a fast pace. She’s evolving into this way of running and it’s certainly helped her,” Trombetta said.
Trombetta said Future Is Now came out of the Intercontinental in good order and is likely to target the Grade 3, $200,000 Caress presented by Albany Med on July 25 here.
“I haven’t spoke with the owner yet, but that’s certainly one of our options, yes,” Trombetta said.
Future Is Now’s victory continued the Maryland-bred theme of the Festival which carried into Saturday with the Brittany Russell-trained Post Time completing the exacta in the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan and the Johnson-bred, Todd Pletcher-trained Mindframe running a good second to Dornoch in the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.
“Our local horses don’t get this chance every day and it seems like everybody that came up did well,” Trombetta said.
Trombetta continued his own good form on Saturday with Sonata Stable’s Arzak, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time, who rallied from 10th-of-12 to finish second to Cogburn in the Grade 1 Jaipur.
Cogburn, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, made every pole a winning one, zipping through splits of 21.33 seconds and 43.07 over the firm Mellon turf on his way to a course and North American record of 59.80 for 5 1/2-furlongs.
“That Asmussen horse was certainly some kind of brilliant yesterday. Other than giving me a head start, we couldn’t have done anything differently,” said Trombetta, with a laugh.
Trombetta said he was pleased with the trip engineered by jockey Jaime Torres, who piloted Arzak from post 2-of-12 and made a strong six-wide run to earn the place.
“We were fortunate we had a good trip and finished up with a good run,” Trombetta said.
Trombetta said Arzak is likely to consider the Grade 2, $300,000 Troy on August 3 here.
“The Troy would be on the possibility list. I just don’t know if he would run back before that or not,” Trombetta said.
