Southern California-based Tony Ann outdueled defending winner Caravel through a deep stretch run to post a neck victory in the 27th edition of the $336,525 Franklin (G2) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon at Keeneland.
Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Flavien Prat, Tony Ann covered the 5½ furlongs on a turf course rated as good in 1:02.42.
Twilight Gleaming (IRE) set a quick pace of :21.09 and :43.93 through a half mile while being pressured by B G Warrior as Caravel and Tony Ann raced in the second flight.
Twilight Gleaming shook off B G Warrior at the top of the stretch and owned a clear advantage until the eighth pole, when Caravel and Tony Ann closed in. Inside the sixteenth pole, Caravel and Tony Ann surged past, but Tony Ann had more energy in reserve and inched past in the final yards.
“It felt like the pace was strong enough, and I was traveling really well behind (eventual runner-up) Caravel, so I was pleased with my trip,” Prat said. “When I tipped her out, (Tony Ann) responded really well. I was a bit worried by the sixteenth pole because Caravel came back on us, but she was really game. To go by Caravel you've got to go all out, but she was really game today.”
Trainer Brad Cox said despite the narrow defeat Caravel gave a good accounting of herself.
“Good run, just came up a touch short,” he said of Caravel, who is scheduled to return to his Churchill Downs base on Monday with plans to ship to Santa Anita on Oct. 30 with an eye on the Breeders' Cup. “I am proud of the effort. She likes it here at Keeneland and ran another great race. Breeders' Cup is definitely still something we are pointing towards. We'll see how she comes out of this race and go from there.”
Anthony Fanticola and A Venneri Racing's Tony Ann is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Cairo Prince out of the In Excess (IRE) mare Never Ever and was bred by co-owner Alex Venneri. The win marked the first in a stakes for Tony Ann, who improved her record to 10-5-1-3 and boosted her career earnings to $511,883 with Sunday's $208,863 winner's share of the purse.
Tony Ann rewarded backers with a win payoff of $17.60.
Caravel, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, finished three-quarters of a length in front of Train to Artemus under Gerardo Corrales.
It was another half-length back to Twilight Gleaming with Wakanaka (IRE), Bay Storm, Linguistic and B G Warrior completing the order of finish.
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