Caravel Going After Rare Back-to-Back Franklin Wins

Multiple grade 1 turf sprint specialist Caravel can start building one streak and extend another if she prevails in the Oct. 15 $300,000 Franklin Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.

A victory would give the 6-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast consecutive wins in the 5 1/2-furlong turf stakes, making her only the second horse to accomplish this feat since the race’s inaugural running in 1997 as the A.P. Indy Stakes. The other winner with back-to-back wins is Dwight Mentzer’s Ayrial Delight, who won in 1998 with jockey Randy Romero in the saddle and in 1999 with Marlon St. Julien.

Another Franklin win also would extend Caravel’s winning streak at Keeneland to 4-for-4. Keeneland is the site of her biggest career win to date, an upset of the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), which she won in gate-to-wire fashion by half a length at nearly 43-1.

Since the Breeders’ Cup, Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables’ Caravel has gone from strength to strength for trainer Brad Cox. She won her 2023 debut at Keeneland in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) and then won her next two starts, which included the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) June 10 at Belmont Park. In her last start, a solid bump at the start and a wide trip in the Troy Stakes (G3T) left her in fourth place at the wire. Interestingly, she also came into last year’s Franklin off a fourth-place finish, but last year Caravel had tried the six-furlong Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2) on the all-weather main track ahead of the Franklin.

Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Caravel as he has been for the mare’s last six starts. They break from post 1.

Caravel and her dam, Zeezee Zoomzoom, in foal to Justify , are cataloged to Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Nov. 8.

Caravel will have some international competition from Godolphin homebred Star Guest , a 3-year-old daughter of Dubawi who has never been off the board in seven career starts. The filly out of the Shamardal group 1-placed, group 2 winner Usherette comes into the Franklin off a pair of six-furlong wins at Newmarket. In her most recent start, she won by 1 1/4 lengths in the non-black-type British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies Handicap Stakes for trainer Charlie Appleby. She will be ridden in the Franklin by Luis Saez.

Stonestreet Stables’ Twilight Gleaming , a 4-year-old filly by National Defense, also should be well considered by bettors. She has not fared well in her most recent starts, but one of those was a go in the King’s Stand Stakes (G1) during Royal Ascot. Otherwise, Twilight Gleaming has five stakes wins on her résumé and a win and second in stakes at Keeneland. Prior to being sent overseas, she won the 5 1/2-furlong Giant’s Causeway Stakes on the grass at Keeneland in April.

Twilight Gleaming is trained by Wesley Ward and will be ridden by John Velazquez.