Janet Garaguso Photo

Future Is Now arrives in time in G2 Intercontinental presented by MTV Solutions

by Mary Eddy

R. Larry Johnson’s Maryland homebred Future Is Now doubled up on stakes victories with a gritty head score in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental presented by MTV Solutions, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf test for older fillies and mares, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which spans Thursday through Sunday, is highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8. The four-day Festival includes 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Great Notion 4-year-old bravely turned back the late rush of dual graded stakes-winner Roses for Debra to earn her first graded stakes victory on the heels of a breakout score with a stalking trip in the five-furlong The Very One on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

"This filly has learned to sit off of horses and run when she's needed,” Trombetta said. “It's really changed things for her. In the last couple of races, it's all really come together for her. This was great. I mean, this is over the top for us. We came in here with expectations just to run well. But to win it is extraordinary.”

Expertly handled by Paco Lopez, Future Is Now broke sharply from post 5-of-9 as Kaufymaker took advantage of a swift break under Luis Saez and hustled to the front to lead the field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.76 seconds over the firm but rain-soaked footing after a deluge fell on the course shortly before the race.

"I was concerned when I saw the weather roll in before the race,” Trombetta said. “I thought the storm would really tear up the place and be a problem. But she handled it [the course] good. The little bit of water didn't hurt her.”

Future Is Now kept close watch in second rounding to the turn and was asked to pick it up at the top of the lane to go head-to-head with the game Kaufymaker with Roses for Debra charging down the center of the course through the half-mile in 44.24. Future Is Now stuck her head in front in the final sixteenth and had put away the resolute Kaufymaker, but was under threat from Roses for Debra to her outside.

Lopez urged with a right-handed crop in the final strides to the wire to will his charge to hold on long enough to turn back Roses for Debra by a head in a final time of 1:01.35 with Kaufymaker finishing another neck back in third.

Gal in a Rush completed the superfecta with Run for the Hills, Spicybug, Lady Milagro, Medalla Match and Everyoneloveslinda rounding out the order of finish. Love Reigns was scratched.

Lopez said he had intended to rate his charge a bit off the pace as he did in the The Very One.

“Well the plan was for the same thing as last time. But when nobody was making the lead, I was second,” said Lopez. “That worked today.

“I was there, I wait, wait. [I went] a little couple jumps early and then she responded so very well,” Lopez added. “And she maintained it all the way straight to the wire.”

Future Is Now notched her third win of the season, adding to her The Very One score and an optional claiming coup in February at Gulfstream Park. She is out of the Trombetta-trained Johnson homebred Past is Prelude, who also produced dual stakes-placed Continentalcongres and Call Another Play, who finished third in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on the same Pimlico card as Future Is Now’s The Very One victory. She banked $110,000 for her Intercontinental score and improved her record to 11-5-1-0 while returning $22.80 on a $2 win ticket.

Trombetta said he will take his time in mapping out his filly’s next start.

"She just keeps getting better. She's going the right way,” said Trombetta. “She's just evolving into a top tier horse. I hope she'll be back for a race at Saratoga this summer, but I don't have anything in mind. I haven't gotten that far yet. We'll certainly see how she comes back and we'll take it from there. Winning a stake at Saratoga is really cool. What a great way to start.”

Johnson will hope to see his momentum carry into Saturday’s card as Mindframe, whom he bred in Maryland, looks to keep a perfect record afloat as the morning-line 7-2 second choice in the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Runner-up Roses for Debra entered from a strong win in the Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway on April 13 at Keeneland and won the Grade 3 Caress here last summer. Trainer Christophe Clement, who also trains fourth-place Gal in a Rush, said he was pleased with the effort from both of his mares.

“They both ran very well. [Roses for Debra] ran a credible race to just miss the win,” said Clement. “Full credit to the winner, who ran a very good race.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga for the featured Belmont Stakes Day card, headlined by the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 12. The lucrative 14-race card also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford in Race 7; the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens in Race 8; the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing in Race 9; the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap in Race 10; the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan in Race 11; the Grade 2, $350,000 True North presented by F.W. Webb in Race 4; the Grade 3, $350,000 Poker in Race 5; and the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban in Race 6. First post is 10:45 a.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the four-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.