Ready to Act the best in Beaumont
Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Ready to Act came from last to win
“She really deserved to win a Grade 2,” Brown said. “She had a race as a
Ready to Act was bumped at the start which left her trailing the field as
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Ready to Act was still in last after a half-mile, but shifted out five wide
leaving the backstretch for running room. The three-year-old filly made a
sweeping move around the far turn to engage the leaders near the top of the
stretch but that’s when her quirkiness came out. With her head cocked toward the
grandstand she took over the lead in midstretch, but could not pull away as she
seemed more interested in the crowd than the actual race. The 3-1 second choice,
Sweet Whiskey made a late charge down along the rail, but Ready to Act held on
for a half-length victory in the end.
Ready to Act crossed the wire in 1:28 for the about seven-furlong contest over the Polytrack.
“She gave me a good run in the last part,” Castellano said. “She tried to lug
in but I don’t think it was a big deal. I really liked the way she settled
behind the horses. First time on the Polytrack and she handled it very well. I
like the way she did it today. It was a great performance.”
Sweet Whiskey got up for second, three-quarters of a length in front of
Katie’s Eyes in third. Richie’s Party Girl, Tea Time, Conspired and Co Cola
rounded out the order of finish. Spring Again was scratched.
“Perfect trip,” said John Velazquez, jockey of runner-up Sweet Whiskey.
“That’s what we wanted to do: cover up and try to make a run with her. She was
tight in there inside and running a little spotty. She was squeezed in there
pretty tight and she hesitated to go. We thought (the race) was going to set up
(that way) and she’d be covered up. We thought she’d shoot through there but she
didn’t go in there like I thought she would.”
Ready to Act opened her career last July in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden at
Saratoga, where she rallied in time by a half-length. That debut success
propelled her into 8-5 favoritism in the September 14 Natalma, and she looked
well on her way to justifying her odds when driving two lengths clear in
midstretch. Then near-disaster struck, as Ready to Act abruptly shied away from
Rajiv Maragh’s whip, veered in dramatically, and pitched him onto the Woodbine
turf.
The daughter of More Than Ready advanced to the November 2 Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita, but folded to sixth after forcing the
pace. The gray dropped into an entry-level allowance over the turf at Gulfstream
Park at the same distance on December 19, but wound up finishing second.
Ready to Act stayed at Gulfstream for her three-year-old debut back on
January 26 and captured her first stakes in the Sweetest Chant. With Sunday’s
score, she banked $120,000 for her second stakes win in a row and now has a
record that stands at 6-3-1-0 and $236,651 in lifetime earnings.
“We’ll take her back to our base in New York and look for something there for
her,” Brown said.
Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III in Kentucky, Ready to Act was sold for $200,000
as a Keeneland September yearling. The aptly-named filly is the first registered
foal from Always Auditioning, a winning full sister to 2008 Hollywood Gold Cup
hero Mast Track. Like her famous brother, Always Auditioning was bred and
trained by the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. Their parents were themselves
Frankel trainees — Mizzen Mast and the Group 3-placed Nawal, who also produced
the Grade 2-placed Sagitta Ra for Frankel.
The Frankel connection extends beyond her pedigree, for Brown is a protege of
the great horseman.
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