SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In the past, she’d get in too much of a hurry, but Future Is Now just needed time to figure it all out. Maturation – and uniting with jockey Paco Lopez – turned Future Is Now from a one-way burner into a horse racing with intention. Her intention is to hit the wire first.
She does so frequently. Five of her last six starts produced wins and, on Thursday at Saratoga, Future Is Now tries for a repeat victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes.
After her Intercontinental victory last year, Future Is Now finished third in her next start, then went on to capture the Smart N Fancy here at Saratoga and two Keeneland stakes, the Grade 2 Franklin in October and the Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway in April. She’s 5 for 6 with Lopez, who picked up the mount about 13 months ago.
“When Paco first rode her, I kind of gave him a heads-up that she’s going to put you very forward,” said Mike Trombetta, who trains Future Is Now, a homebred, for the estate of R Larry Johnson. “In early days, she was kind of a need-the-lead type. She didn’t mature mentally for a while, learn to come off the bridle and run when asked. We kind of believe that’s made her what she is”
Future Is Now won the Intercontinental by a head, and her next two by a half- and three-quarters lengths, and the Giant’s Causeway by a nose. To Trombetta, it’s not anthropomorphism saying Future Is Now consciously competes.
“There’s no doubt. Some of these horses, they give everything they have to get there. There are plenty of talented horses out there that don’t have that mindset,” he said.
Still, Future Is Now has little margin for error. In the Giant’s Causeway, she lost the lead to Pandora’s Gift at the stretch call, but came back to nip her at the line, and closing for third behind a moderate pace came Danse Macabre. Miguel Clement trains both horses and both return for the Intercontinental, historically run over seven furlongs at Belmont, now contested going 5 1/2.
Pandora’s Gift made her first eight starts in England and all but her last for trainer Stuart Williams before LSU Stables bought Pandora’s Gift at auction last fall for $850,000. The Giant’s Causeway marked her first start for new connections and first under jockey Irad Ortiz – and resulted in a very tough beat.
“I still can’t believe we did not win that photo finish,” Clement said. “Irad was very upset that we got beat.”
Pandora’s Gift has done well since shipping to Saratoga later in May. She breaks from post 1 and could wind up sitting in the pocket, a good trip – provided Ortiz can work his way out in time.
Three of the four pace players in the Giant’s Causeway stuck around to the finish, while Danse Macabre, also making her first start in the Clement stable, was the only horse making up much ground. She outfinished Future Is Now for second in the Caress here last summer and has trained with verve since Keeneland, Clement said.
Nine fillies and mares are entered for turf, and while the winner probably comes out of the Giant’s Causeway, 4-year-olds Pipsy and Twirling Queen merit a second look.
Twirling Queen has won three of four on turf, including the Coronation over the Saratoga course, and exits a five-month layoff after running far below standard form over the quirky Gulfstream grass course. Twirling Queen can stalk the pace; trainer Will Walden hopes Pipsy can, too. Pipsy won two of three in Ireland before coming to America, missing the break in her first start here, but still rallying from last to win the Soaring Softly at Aqueduct two Mays ago. That trip aside, Pipsy is one of several pace players.
“From that first start on, she beats the gate every time; she’s the first one out of there. Coming from a place where there’s no emphasis on that, I’ve never seen a horse like that,” Walden said.
Pipsy returned from a winter break and won nicely over second-level turf sprint allowance foes at Keeneland. Walden said the filly since has “been exceptional” in her training. He also thinks her ideal trip falls between six and seven furlongs.
And to beat a win machine like Future Is Now, Pipsy – and everyone else – must be on top of their game.
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