Future Is Now Flaunts Her Class, Grinds Home to Caress Victory

[Wandering Eyes]

Long live the classy mares.

A fan favorite and honest as the day is long, Future Is Now (Great Notion) was ultra game in the lane to take home the GIII Caress Stakes at Saratoga.

Off the board just once in her last 10 starts, the Michael Trombetta-trained star has won six of them including the GII Intercontinental Stakes and GII Franklin Stakes last year, and she kicked off her 2025 season Apr. 13 at Keeneland with a nose victory in the GIII Giant's Causeway Stakes over multiple Group/Graded stakes-placed Pandora's Gift (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). She ran second last out June 5 to MGSW Pipsy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) when trying to defend her Intercontinental crown.

Back here and a 2-1 favorite to secure redemption after being run down late in this race last year to finish third by a half-length, Future Is Now was content to watch Twirling Queen (Twirling Candy) set a demanding opening quarter in :21.15 and was the looming danger between runners as the field closed ranks after four furlongs in :43.59 entering the lane. Overhauling that early leader a sixteenth out, the mare kicked away from the blanket scramble behind her to win comfortably. There was a five-way battle for the minors that GSW Zeitlos (Curlin) won for the placing while Time to Dazzle (Not This Time) closed the trifecta from the far outside.

There was a jockey's claim of foul after the race lodged by Dylan Davis aboard the third-place runner alleging interference by Future Is Now at the quarter pole but the stewards quickly dismissed it.

“He [Paco Lopez] was happy to have it [post 7] and I think that just gives him options,” said Trombetta after the race. “It always gives you a chance to recover if you don't get away as good as you want, whereas if you are inside, it can be detrimental. She broke good enough, he didn't have to chase her off her feet, and obviously he was able to have horse.”

“[Future Is Now] has been a gem. She is easy to train, does everything right. She shows up almost every time.”

When asked about a start in the Smart and Fancy Stakes Aug. 15, Trombetta replied, “That is what we did last year. We'll see how she bounces out of it and then plan what is left of the season. This season comes and goes pretty quickly, so ultimately, we want to possibly do that, and try to get to Keeneland again in the fall.”

Rider Paco Lopez had similarly high praise for the mare, saying, “She's a very good filly. [Michael] Trombetta, he does a very good job. Today, she did very well in the gate. The last time she was a little nervous, a little uneasy in the gate, but today, very quiet and relaxed. Much better for sure.”

When asked about the objection, Lopez said, “I'll have to see the replay. I never did nothing for me. I break, was second. I never touched him.”

 

Future is Now grinds out her sixth stakes win in the G3 Caress at Saratoga! @trombetta_mike trains the 5YO mare and @pacolopez1018 was up. pic.twitter.com/bh6qT0ED1X

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 19, 2025

 

Pedigree Note

Future Is Now, while the most accomplished of her dam's offspring, is not the only black-type runner for Past as Prelude (Bernardini). Her half-sister Call Another Play (Audible) is a multiple stakes winner in her own right, and ran third in the GIII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes last year. Another of her black-type half-sisters is MSP Continentalcongres (Constitution), who also claims a placed full-sister named Originalist. There is an unraced 3-year-old in the family, Places in My Past (McKinzie), as the most recent of racing age. Past as Prelude has a yearling filly by Audible and a 2025 colt by Charlatan to her credit. She was bred to Life Is Good for 2026.

In addition to the first dam, second dam Magical Meadow (Meadowlake) also claims GSW Street Magician (Street Cry {Ire}) as one of her accomplished offspring as well as the dam of MSW I'm Stoked (Hook And Ladder) and SP Bag of Tricks (Bernardini). Her daughter More Than Magic (More Than Ready) produced GSP Hopeful Princess (Not This Time) during her broodmare career and is the granddam of MSP Heldish (Great Notion). This female family has also yielded MGISW Mindframe (Constitution) underneath the third dam.

Saturday, Saratoga
CARESS S.-GIII, $175,000, Saratoga, 7-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.08, fm.
1–FUTURE IS NOW, 126, m, 5, by Great Notion
           1st Dam: Past as Prelude, by Bernardini
           2nd Dam: Magical Meadow, by Meadowlake
           3rd Dam: Special Kell, by Parfaitement
O-The Estate of R. Larry Johnson; B-R. Larry Johnson (MD); T-Michael J. Trombetta; J-Paco Lopez. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 17-9-2-1, $884,660. *1/2 to Continentalcongres (Constitution), MSP, $313,800 and Call Another Play (Audible), MSW & GSP, $370,345. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zeitlos, 126, m, 5, Curlin–Thyme For Roses (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus). ($350,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC and Peter Leidel; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $35,000.
3–Time to Dazzle, 126, f, 4, Not This Time–Staria, by Unbridled's Song. ($310,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Tracy Farmer; B-Rodney Orr (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $21,000.
Margins: HF, NK, NO. Odds: 2.20, 6.70, 7.90.
Also Ran: Twirling Queen, Kairyu (Ire)-(DH), Pandora's Gift (Ire)-(DH), Toupie, Pipsy (Ire), Obstreperous. Scratched: Caress, Halina's Forte, Little Prankster. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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