A quick early tempo in the $390,950 Franklin Stakes (G2T) set the stage for a closer on the Keeneland turf Oct. 12, and Time to Dazzle took the cue. Living up to her name, the 4-year-old Not This Time filly dazzled to the tune of a 3 1/4-length win.
That early assist came from a speed duel between favored Luna Louska and In Our Time, who defeated Time to Dazzle by a half-length in a Kentucky Downs allowance race Sept. 10. With In Our Time outsprinting Luna Louska on the rail, the pair fired off fractions of :20.65 and :43.65.
Meanwhile, jockey Jose Ortiz found himself last aboard Time to Dazzle, five lengths off the lead after a quarter-mile. However, there was no sense of panic in the veteran rider.
"It felt quick," he said. "I know Luna Louska, when I saw that she broke good and wasn't on the lead, they (must be) going pretty good because she's fast. I rode (Time to Dazzle) with confidence."
Ortiz had been aboard the Mark Casse trainee for both of her runs in the Kentucky Downs meet—a fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, in the Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) and her runner-up effort to In Our Time—and said he felt like she had been unlucky to win.
However, luck was on their side Sunday as Pondering, who he had been racing behind, was tipped off the rail by Tyler Gaffalione as she pursued In Our Time. That allowed Ortiz to dip to the rail and press the gas pedal.
"It opened up very nicely for me, and she exploded," Ortiz said. "I was just pointing her in the right direction."
In Our Time had won the battle with Luna Louska, who was retreating to finish last, but lost the war as Time to Dazzle thundered by and moved away to stop the clock in 1:02.09 for 5 1/2 furlongs, paying $8.06 to win. Pondering finished third.
The victory was a second in graded company for Time to Dazzle and her first victory since taking the Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine in July 2024. However, connections never lost faith as she continued to show up every race, finishing a length or shorter behind the winner in five of the seven starts since.
Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Rodney Orr, Time to Dazzle was purchased for $310,000 by Tracy Farmer at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Following the victory, Farmer complimented the filly's determination and work ethic for giving him confidence.
"She's been a great filly," Farmer said. "We've been hoping for this run, and she showed it today."
Farmer also pointed praise at the filly's sire, Not This Time, who completed the exacta with In Our Time holding on for second. The Taylor Made stallion notched a fourth graded win and fifth stakes victory through the opening two weekends of the Keeneland meet, adding his Franklin exacta to a historic trifecta of daughters in the Oct. 3 Jessamine Stakes (G2T).
READ: Not This Time's Remarkable Weekend
Time to Dazzle is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Staria, making her a half sister to Tale of the Cat's multiple stakes winner Sir Genghis.
