Photo: Adam Coglianese
Delivering the second blow of a one-two New York-bred graded-stakes punch at Belmont on the Fourth of July weekend, New York’s 2009 Two-Year-Old Champion Female Franny Freud won the 63rd running of the $250,000 Grade 1 Prioress Stakes for three year-old fillies on Sunday, firmly defeating four formidable rivals and showing the world what her connections have long suspected – that there seems to be no limit to what she can do. Her fourth consecutive score and seventh career stakes win also boosts the credentials of her New York-based sire Freud, giving him his first Grade 1 winner.
Just about 24 hours to the minute after New York-bred Haynesfield gave a clinic in excellence winning the 124th renewal of the G2 Suburban, the betting public sent the accomplished Franny Freud to the post as favorite at odds of .70-to-1 in the Prioress. Even though the Grade 1 race was the filly’s toughest test to date, she had accomplished virtually everything asked of her so far, making her commanding presence felt over dirt tracks wet and dry, on synthetic surfaces, and even over the Belmont turf course. She had won her last three races virtually for fun, including the Grade 2 Beaumont at Keeneland last April.
Breaking from broke post three under jockey Garrett Gomez, in the irons for her previous four starts, Franny took up fourth position behind a speedy Stormandaprayer, who led the field through red-hot fractions of 21.85 and 44.97, tracked meanwhile by Champagne d’Oro (winner of last month’s Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont) and Bonnie Blue Flag. Making a three-wide move on the turn for home, Franny took the lead into the stretch and hit the wire 1 ¾ lengths in front of Champagne d’Oro. Her final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.11. Bonnie Blue Flag finished third.
After her previous victory (in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes going the distance of seven furlongs on the turf against males), trainer John Terranova spoke confidently about his filly: “Her next start will be in a Grade 1. She’s a Grade 1 filly.” At the time he had the Prioress in mind. After Sunday’s Prioress victory he could not have been more complementary to Franny and her connections. “Well-deserved! I’m very happy for her; I’m very happy for everyone. We didn’t know how fast the early fractions were going to be . . . but she’s fast and Garrett just kind of let her settle into her spot. It looked like she was just waiting to pounce. I know how good she is and I’m glad she got the Grade 1 under her belt, because she deserves it.” Winning jockey Garrett Gomez was also beaming after the race: “She’s just all horse. She’s a little bitty thing, but she gives 120 percent. As far as how far she’ll go, she just keeps answering questions for everybody, including her fans. She’s a New York-bred doing good things.”
Once again, it didn’t take long after the Prioress for Terranova to speak of future plans saying, “If everything is well, we’ll look at the [Grade 1] Test in Saratoga [on August 7].” About two hours later he reported that Franny had cooled out well. Breeder and part-owner Anthony Grey, last year’s New York Breeder of the Year, led Franny Freud into the winner’s circle and said later, “I’m thrilled. She’s a tremendous and classy filly.”
Franny Freud’s record is now 8-2-0 from 11 with earnings of $686,029. Out of Frankly Fran (by D’Accord), Franny Freud is owned by a partnership of Paul P. Pompa, Jr., Grey’s Winter Park Partners, and Stephen Yarbrough. Her sire Freud stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud.
I’ve loved this filly since I watched her break her maiden, congratulations to her connections