The ninth race on Friday’s Saratoga card is the Smart and Fancy Stakes for fillies and mares three years old and up. Run at five and a half on the turf, this race has become familiar to Midlantic breds over the years, with the last three winners all originating from the Midlantic. Future is Now returns to defend her title from last year after yet another impressive win at Saratoga in last month’s Grade III Caress Stakes. As the 6/5 morning line favorite, this Maryland bred headlines this field of nine turf runners, but Pennsylvania bred Dontlookbackatall is one of many who will give Future is Now everything she can handle in this evenly matched group.

Breaking directly to the inside of Dontlookbackatall from the six hole, Future Is Now returns with regular jockey Paco Lopez who has ridden her in eight straight. A specialist at this five and a half distance, this mare by Great Notion – Past as Prelude, by Bernardini has won four of her last five tries, which includes last year’s Smart and Fancy. Future Is Now has also hit the board in all five of her Saratoga tries, including three wins here for trainer Michael Trombetta. Trombetta opts to ship Future Is Now back down to her home state of Maryland to train, typically conditioning over the Fair Hill training course. With two works already this month, this five year old mare is primed for another strong effort as she ships back north to the Spa. Trombetta has also worked well with Lopez over the last year, boasting an impressive forty-three percent win rate together in forty tries. All these signs point to another strong effort from this impressive turf sprinter, as she likely aims at a Breeders’ Cup try in the fall if things continue to trend in the right direction. Future Is Now was bred by R. Larry Johnson who is also the owner.

At the longer odds of 15/1 on the morning line, Pennsylvania bred Dontlookbackatall enters with lower expectations than her Midlantic counterpart. A consistent finisher who routinely hit the board over the last two years, this five year old mare bred by A1A Racing has hit a slump since the fall, failing to medal in her last four tries. With a few distant finishes including a twenty-five length loss in May, her morning line odds begin to make more sense despite her past success. Still, as one who has triumphed twice over this turf course and keeps Miguel Clement as her conditioner, she could be due for a bounce back effort in her return to familiar ground. By Peace and Justice – Celtic Arch, by Arch, Dontlookbackatall switches jockeys here to Manny Franco which could lead to a kickstart. Even if her best form is good enough to compete with Future Is Now, whether or not she gets back to her best in this spot remains to be seen. Dontlookbackatall is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables and breaks from post seven.

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