Classic story: Short Time from the pen of Francis? (4,4)
I believe the answer is:
moby dick
'classic story' is the definition.
(classic novel by Herman Melville)
'short time from the pen of francis?' is the wordplay.
'short time' becomes 'mo' (as in 'just a mo').
'from the pen of' becomes 'by' (as in a book being from the pen of some author).
'francis?' becomes 'Dick' (jockey Dick Francis).
'mo'+'by'+'dick'='MOBY-DICK'
(Other definitions for moby dick that I've seen before include "Herman Melville's great novel of the White Whale" , "work by American" , "Book by Herman Melville" , "Beast in book" .)