Time to Dazzle. (Keeneland Photo)
Keeneland Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tracy Farmer’s Time to Dazzle darted through an opening between the rail and pacesetting In Our Time approaching the sixteenth pole and drew off to win the 29th running of the $400,000 Franklin (G2) for fillies and mares by 3¼ lengths Sunday afternoon.
Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Time to Dazzle completed the 5½ furlongs on a firm turf course in 1:02.09. It is the second victory in the race for Casse, who won the 2020 running with Got Stormy.
In Our Time and favored Luna Louska dueled through quick 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 go to the inside where room began to open as In Our Time moved a path to the outside. With clear sailing, Time to Dazzle rocketed past the leader and cruised to victory.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Time to Dazzle is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Not This Time out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Staria. With her second graded stakes victory, Time to Dazzle improved her record to 14-4-2-1 and boosted her earnings to $682,877 with Sunday’s $241,800 check.
Time to Dazzle returned $8.06, $3.96 and $3.06. In Our Time, ridden by Luis Saez, returned $5.24 and $4.02 and finished a head in front of Pondering, who paid $4.92 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.
It was a neck back to Pipsy (IRE) in fourth with Cart Girl Sam, Won Happy Mama and Luna Louska following in order.
Racing resumes Wednesday with an eight-race program beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
Quotes from the $400,000 Franklin (G2) at Keeneland
Jose Ortiz (winning rider of winner Time to Dazzle): “Obviously the speed on paper looked like it was heavy. When I saw (favored) Luna Louska was not in front, I knew they were going pretty fast, so I rode her (Time to Dazzle) with patience. Around the turn, I had to tap on the brakes a little bit and followed the 1 (Pondering). I knew the 1 was going to take me to the eighth pole, and I did that. Then I found a hole on the inside, and she exploded.”
Tracy Farmer (winning owner, who purchased Time to Dazzle for $310,000 at Keeneland’s 2022 September Yearling Sale): “We’ve been hoping for this run, and she showed it today. What a day. Beautiful day, beautiful filly and all the fans — what could be better? It’s super (to get a graded stakes win) at Keeneland. They’ve done a wonderful job here.”
Luis Saez (rider of runner-up In Our Time): “Pretty good trip, just too much pressure. I saw the winner come up the inside, but at that point we were already beat. Nothing we could’ve done.
About her being antsy and bucking in the Paddock: “She’s normally like that. She’s a filly that always feels good. She broke really well in the race, but we just had pressure on us the whole way. But she tried.”
Tyler Gaffalione (rider of third-place finisher Pondering): “She put herself where she likes to be. I got a nice position tracking the speed. Got a really nice trip up the inside. Coming around the turn into the stretch, she laid it down for me. I think the ground got away from her today, just took a little bit away from her finish, but it was a great effort overall.”
