Looking every bit the 1-2 favorite she was, Franny Freud cruised to a front-running 4 3/4-length win in the $150,000 Beaumont Stakes (gr. II) (VIDEO) for her first graded stakes win April 7 at Keeneland.
Ridden to victory by Garrett Gomez, the New York-bred daughter of Freud earned her first victory in 2010 for trainer John Terranova and owners Paul Pompa Jr., Stephen Yarbrough, and Anthony Grey. She completed the seven furlong, 184-foot distance in 1:26.89 over the Polytrack, easily defeating six rival 3-year-old fillies.
Franny Freud was away alertly, quickly opening a one-length lead while pounding out quarter-mile fractions of :23.29 and :47.09 as she was chased by Glowing Report and Grand Affair. She eased away to a 2 1/2-length lead in the lane and responded to a challenge from Chantilly Nayla approaching mid-stretch to draw off under good handling.
“She did everything right. She put me in the right spot,” said Gomez, who claimed his 20th stakes victory at Keeneland. “She got a good breather for half a mile and was just galloping around there. When I set her down, she went ahead and put it out there and sprinted away home.”
Chantilly Nayla, ridden by James Graham, rallied from fifth to take the runner-up spot by four lengths over second choice Diva Delite and Julien Leparoux. Glowing Report, Grand Affair, Kawiye and Tia trailed.
Coming off a second-place finish in the Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita in her only other start this year Jan. 16, Franny Freud ran her career mark to 5-2-0 in eight races with earnings of $416,029. The Beaumont victory was worth $90,0000.
Franny Freud paid $3, $2.40, and $2.10. Chantilly Nayla, who was on a three-race win streak for trainer Neil Pessin, returned $4.20 and $3. Diva Delite, winner of the Florida Oaks (gr. III) for trainer Ian Wilkes at Tampa Bay Downs March 13, had won five races in a row coming into the Beaumont. She paid $2.40 to show.
Bred by Grey, the winning bay filly is out of the D'Accord mare Frankly Fran.