Franklin County Preview: Got Stormy Makes Final Breeders’ Cup Prep

LEXINGTON, KY – Gary Barber’s multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy will make her final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in Friday’s $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

The Franklin County is a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint restricted to fillies and mares ages 3 and up. This year’s edition is the penultimate event on a 10-race card and has a local post time of 5:30 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Franklin County:

https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE100920USA9-EQB.html

1. Bohemian Bourbon 20/1 – All 3 career wins came in 2019, including against older optional claiming rivals at Kentucky Downs to end her seasonal campaign. She missed winning the Royal North Stakes (G3) by 3/4 of a length and has tactical speed to sit wherever the pace and break dictates.

2. Into Mystic 6/1 – After winning 4 of 7 attempts on fast dirt, she tried turf sprinting for the first time earlier this summer and earned the best Beyer Speed Figures of her career in each of those 3 starts. Her best effort came when winning the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint Stakes 2 back.

3. Surrender Now 15/1 – She transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s care in August after finishing seventh in 3 straight southern California-based turf sprints. Her usual running style has been to head straight to the front and try to outlast everyone in the stretch.

4. Tomlin 50/1 – She won her turf sprint debut in the Camilla Urso Stakes this past May at Golden Gate Fields, then finished third in the Daisycutter Handicap at Del Mar. She returns to the lawn after finishing fifth last time out in the Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) over Woodbine’s synthetic course.

5. Jakarta 6/1 – She won 5 of her first 6 starts after trainer Mike Maker claimed her for $16k in August 2019, including an off-turf edition of the Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream Park. She came within a 1/2-length of wiring the 5 1/2-furlong Caress Stakes and beat starter allowance rivals last time out.

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6. Violent Times 30/1 – The versatile mare has proven equally effective on dirt and turf, hitting the board in 5 of 7 starts on each surface and winning a total of 4 times. She won her first stakes last time out in July’s Ana T., a 6-furlong Gulfstream Park dirt dash where the runner-up won her next start.

7. Winning Envelope 10/1 – She enters this event having finished second in each of her past 3 starts, including the last 2 against stakes company. She won a two-turn mile allowance over this course last October when today’s jockey, Julien Leparoux, was aboard her for the first time.

8. Change of Control 15/1 – She won 2 straight turf sprint allowances at Churchill Downs earlier this summer and won the Mamzelle Stakes over that course in 2019. She was a well-beaten sixth in the Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3) last time out but may have not liked Kentucky Downs’ soft going.

9. Stillwater Cove 8/1 – She makes her first start back since winning an allowance event by 3 lengths over this course and distance last October 13. Trainer Wesley Ward has a 23% success rate in turf sprints and connects at 20% when his runners return after similar layoffs.

10. Got Stormy 6/5 – Her first turf sprint attempt resulted in a dominating 3 1/4-length score in the Ladies Sprint over several of these rivals. She’s using this as a final tune-up before entering the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1), which will be held over this course and distance on November 7.

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11. Chalon 12/1 – She scratched as the 5/2 favorite from last week’s Skipat Stakes (a race she won in 2019) in order to make her grass debut in this spot. Arnaud Delacour has a 14% success rate when his trainees try turf for the first time and is 18% overall in turf sprints, so expect a strong effort.

12. Ambassador Luna 12/1 – She won an off-turf edition of the Unbridled Sydney Stakes over a fast Churchill Downs main track last time out after finishing second in a pair of turf sprints earlier in the year. While she’s won twice on firm turf, her form says that she’s even better on a softer going.