Over the last few months, a trio of Mid-Atlantic-bred fillies and mares have established something of a rivalry, often entered in the same turf sprints and trading wins and placings.

Most recently, Dontlookbackatall (PA), Roses for Debra (PA), and Future Is Now (MD) were entered in the Caress Stakes (G3) at Saratoga on July 25. Winner of the race last year, Roses for Debra scratched the day of the race, and Dontlookbackatall got her first graded stakes win, with Future Is Now a head and two necks behind in third. 

Back in June, during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, it was Future Is Now getting the head win over Roses for Debra in the Intercontinental Stakes (G2).

And all three were entered at Saratoga in Friday’s $150,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes. 

On Wednesday morning, speaking from his home in Virginia, Larry Johnson, owner and breeder of Future Is Now, celebrated the burgeoning rivalry.

“It’s a bit unusual to have a good race like this with the first three choices being bred in Pennsylvania and Maryland,” he said. “That doesn’t happen very much.”

“Still,” he joked, “I wish one of them was a Kentucky-bred going to Kentucky Downs instead.”

Half of his wish came true: Dontlookbackatall will scratch from the Smart N Fancy and instead head to the $1 million Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint (G2T) on Aug. 31, the lure of the fat purse and the graded status enticing the filly’s connections away from Saratoga. 

“OMG,” Johnson texted after hearing the news. 

Before the scratch, Future Is Now was the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, Roses for Debra the 6-5 favorite.

“Her last two races have been terrific up there,” said Johnson of his Great Notion filly. “She’s been in Saratoga for the entire meet, and some horses just love that environment.”

Johnson was planning to leave Virginia on Thursday to head north to see her run in person at Saratoga for the first time. Future Is Now is trained by Michael Trombetta and will be ridden by Paco Lopez, breaking from post 7. 

Both Dontlookbackatall and Roses for Debra are trained by Christophe Clement. The latter put together back-to-back wins in the Caress and the Smart N Fancy last year and is another that seems to thrive on the Adirondack air. 

Roses for Debra is a five-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map and is out of the unraced Ontario-bred mare Essential Rose (Bernardini). Breeder Blackstone Farm bought the mare in foal to Lookin at Lucky for $32,000 at the 2015. Keeneland November breeding stock sale. In addition to Roses for Debra, the mare has produced Rose’s Vision (2015, Artie Schiller), a stakes winner that earned $264,358, and Rosie’s Alibi (2020, Justify). 

Rosie’s Alibi sold was a $300,000 RNA weanling before being sold at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale for $625,000.  

Roses for Debra is owned by John O’Meara and Cheyenne Stables. A $120,000 short yearling in 2020, O’Meara got her for $25,000 eight months later at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Roses for Debra has earned $619,868 and will be sold as a broodmare prospect when she’s done racing, per the terms of the ownership agreement between O’Meara and Cheyenne. 

Future Is Now will join Johnson’s broodmare band, which is now based in Virginia, thanks to newly-enriched Virginia racing and breeding incentives. Johnson has been breeding the filly’s family for more than 40 years, comprising four generations.

“He’s had such success in that line for decades, and that success highlights the program and raises the value of our horses,” said Cindy Deubler, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association research specialist and associate editor of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred.

She also pointed out that the Smart N Fancy shares a name – sort of – with Maryland-bred Smart and Fancy. By Not For Love, Smart and Fancy was owned by Win and Place Stable and trained by Anthony Dutrow. In 2015, she sold in foal to Will Take Charge for $110,000 to Calumet, for whom she’s produced two six-figure runners, Derby Date and Total Futbol.

Smart and Fancy herself earned $826,443 and was graded stakes placed in the 2007 Barbara Fritchie (G2). 

In recent years, the financial incentives to breed and race in Pennsylvania have been threatened by various entities within the state who think that the state’s dollars could be better used elsewhere. Horses like Dontlookbackatall and Roses for Debra, along with initiatives by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, bolster the case to maintain those incentives.

“Our legislators know that our horses can run anywhere in the United States,” said Brian Sanfratello, the organization’s executive secretary. “We’ve had Pennsylvania-breds run in the Derby and the Breeders’ Cup. Caravel won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in 2022. We also have 23 Pennsylvania-bred restricted stakes races, so you can run across the country in higher level stakes, make good money, then come back home to Pennsylvania and run and make good money.”

The three fillies and mares have run at 11 tracks (12, including the upcoming race at Kentucky Downs) and have arguably done their best racing at Saratoga. The trio will be minus one on Friday, but that leaves two to run for bragging rights, the winner’s share of the $150,000 purse, and another stakes win on her résumé. 

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