Francent N: From New Zealand to Canadian record 

by Melissa Keith

When a newcomer to Woodbine Mohawk Park blazed to victory in back-to-back starts against top pacing mares, she was anything but an unknown. Francent N was sent off as the even-money favorite in the Aug. 29 filly and mare open, which she won in 1:48.1 with an early first-over grind and late explosion up the inside path. The 10-1 morning line didn’t stand a chance.

Sept. 5, in the Grade 2 Milton Stake, 1-5 favorite Francent N and driver Louis-Philippe Roy cleared leader Twin B Joe Fresh just past the :25.2 opening quarter. Louies Girl N overtook Francent N on the final turn, but it was the latter who made another winning late move without leaving the pylons. Announcer Chad Rozema instantly declared the 1:47.3 mile a new Milton and Mohawk track record.

“Louies Girl [N] and Jason Bartlett took a shot, couldn’t quite clear, but you’ve got to show a lotta guts and a lotta talent to be able to pick it up like that and then dig in when the others are trying to come at you as well,” he said of Francent N. “This mare, if anybody had any questions, she is legit.”

The win was also the fastest-ever by a female pacer in Canada and equaled the year’s fastest by a mare in North America.

After the record victory, Francent N returned to her U.S. trainer, Pat Lachance of Allentown, NJ. Her next start was supposed to be the Sept. 18 Yonkers filly and mare invitational, but the 6-year-old mare was a vet scratch from what would have been her seventh start in North America. Her departure was seemingly as sudden as her arrival at the top, but there is of course more to the story.

New Zealand-bred Francent N (p, 6, 1:47.3s; $324,567) was exported to North America after three consecutive wins, the most recent on May 8 at Auckland in the Charles Roberts North Island Standardbred Breeders Association Stakes Mobile Pace. Then owned by the Patsy Marie Syndicate and conditioned by Mark Jones, Francent N and driver Crystal Hackett trailed the field until launching a three-wide bid with 750 meters remaining in the 2,200-meter race.

“Here’s Francent in her swan song before heading to the land of the maple leaf!” announced Aaron White as the big mare charged to victory, three-wide down the stretch. With her sale to new owner Ecurie CSL (Sylvain Descheneaux) of Sorel-Tracy, QC finalized on May 13, Francent N left New Zealand as Bob Higgins’ first Group 1 winner in his 50 years as a breeder.

“She came to my barn in early June,” Pat Lachance told HRU. “She acted like a class mare.”

Francent N began her North American career for her current trainer/driver on a winning note, qualifying at Yonkers in 1:54 flat on July 13. She repeated in another non-wagering tightener on July 24, opening up by eight lengths to win in 1:54 over the New York half-mile.

“Yes, when she qualified, I felt she was a really nice mare,” Lachance said. “I watched her replays. She looked like she had serious potential.”

The daughter of Vincent—Mary Niven, bred by Bob Higgins of Westport, NZ, arrived in her new home with a record of 13 wins from 29 career starts, three of the wins from her seven New Zealand starts this year. Francent N made her pari-mutuel debut for Ecurie CSL and Lachance in the July 31 Yonkers distaff invitational. Although it wasn’t another victory, her latest trainer/driver was impressed.

“In her first race, I knew we had something special,” Lachance said. “She flew home into a really good mile with good mares.”

Francent N closed from last to a close fourth in a personal 1:51.4 mile, pacing the fastest (:26.3) last quarter of the entire card.

After closing strongly to finish second by a neck to Raspalia N on Aug. 7, Francent N and Lachance overcame Yonkers post 8 to win from off the pace in 1:52.3 on Aug. 14. After returning to the Yonkers distaff invitational with a going-away 1:51.4 victory on Aug. 21.

“Sylvain called me and asked me if I thought it was a good idea to supplement her to the Milton, and asked if I thought the bigger track would be good for her,” Lachance said. “I told him that yes, I felt she’d do very well out there.”

Descheneaux supplemented his mare to the Milton for $20,000 (Can.) ahead of the Aug. 24 deadline. There were no other supplemental entries to the race, which did not require eliminations.

While Francent N moved to the barn of Jacques Dupont in Canada, her U.S.-based trainer/driver followed Francent N’s progress, albeit during his own busy race nights at Yonkers.

“I watched her race on the 29th and wasn’t surprised to see her win,” Lachance said. “When she won in 1:47.3, I knew she had the ability to do it, but you never know how far they can carry that speed. She sure proved that she has a lot of class.”

The Milton was Francent N’s last race, for now.

“We scratched her at Yonkers because she has a virus going through her,” Lachance told HRU on Friday (Sept. 25). “The plan is to pull blood on Monday [Sept. 28] to make sure she’s healthy… If she checks out good, we will race her at Yonkers, then maybe go to Kentucky. If not Kentucky, then we will supplement to the Breeders Crown.”

The Grade 3 Allerage Open Mare Pace is slated for Oct. 10 at The Red Mile.