Franklin Square Preview: Will Vacay Remain Undefeated?

OZONE PARK, NY – Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Vacay will try to remain undefeated after facing five rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 Franklin Square Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Franklin Square is a 6 1/2-furlong dirt sprint restricted to New York-bred 3-year-old fillies. This year’s edition is the penultimate event on a 9-race card and has a local post time of 3:50 PM.

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

1. Vacay 8/5 – The sharp-starting Not This Time filly won her debut by 1 3/4 lengths while going 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy Belmont Park main track, then dominated her own kind by 5 1/2 lengths in the local 6-furlong Key Cents Stakes. Off since that mid-November event, she has worked well for her return and trainer Todd Pletcher succeeds at 20% after similar layoffs.

2. Secret Love 6/1 – She broke her maiden on debut by 6 1/4 lengths in a 6-furlong Belmont Park main track sprint, then finished second in a local dash while going that same distance against state-bred optional claimers. A second contender by hot sire Not This Time, she was returning from a 3-month layoff last time out and could improve in her second start back.

3. A Life That’s Good 8/1 – She broke her maiden last time out when covering 6 furlongs over this course, crossing 5 1/2 lengths clear while defeating nine others, including a next-out winner. She closely pressed the pace that day and led during the first half of her debut (a 7-furlong turf sprint at Belmont Park), so expect to be her featured prominently early.

Check our Handicapping Products page to find out how we are playing this and every race on the card!

4. Laobanonaprayer 6/5 – The deserving morning line favorite has won 2 straight state-bred stakes, a 5 1/2-length maiden-breaking effort in the Maid of the Mist and a dominating 8-length triumph in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue. She’s never missed the board in 4 starts, having finished second and third against open company maidens at Delaware Park to start her career.

“We’re excited,” said her owner/trainer Daniel Velazquez. “She’s doing really well and it’s a good spot for her to win. We were going to try open company, but we figured why do that when we could run against New York-breds? She’s extremely versatile.”

5. Rossa Veloce 6/1 – The field’s most experienced runner (with 5 starts to her name) exits a gate-to-wire local score against Secret Love and others in a 6-furlong state-bred optional claiming event. She broke her maiden on debut but failed to threaten late in 3 stakes attempts, with her best finish to date a well-beaten second in the Key Cents behind Vacay.

6. Caramocha 20/1 – She broke her maiden on debut by 4 1/4 lengths while running 6 furlongs over this course, springing a 99.75/1 upset while running on her wrong lead in the lane. A well-beaten fourth behind Rossa Veloce and Secret Love in her second and most recent start, she needs to take a major step forward from a Beyer Speed Figure perspective to contend.

See the day’s full plays from Ricky’s Rockets!