Ready to Act came from last to win the G2 Beaumont Stakes (1400m) at Keeneland on Sunday and it was readily evident she has even more room for improvement this year.
The daughter of Vinery champion More Than Ready started a $2.80 favourite after winning the LR Sweetest Chant Stakes in Florida and she doubled up in Kentucky despite racing greenly in the straight.
“She really deserved a Grade 2,” trainer Chad Brown said. “She had the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes won at Woodbine late last year but jocked off Rajiv (Maragh)”. Clearly in front that day the, then 2yo, daughter of More Than Ready basically did a left-hand turn in the stretch, unseating her rider and nearly causing a pile up in her wake.
“Javier (Castellano) did a great job keeping her straight today. As you can see, she’s a work in progress. We still have some things to work out but, if we do get her running straight, she’s probably going to gain a few lengths.”
Ready to Act (3f More Than Ready – Always Auditioning by Mizzen Mast) was bumped at the start which left her trailing the Beaumont field. She made a sweeping move to engage the leaders but cocked her head towards the grandstand in the straight.
The grey filly seemed more interested in the crowd than the actual race and could have won by more than the official half-length margin. “She tried to lug in but gave me a good run in the last part,” Castellano explained. “Overall, it was a great performance.”
Ready to Act began her career with a win on turf at Saratoga and followed up with that fall at Woodbine before finishing sixth in the G1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.
The Beaumont victory was worth 10 points towards a start in the G1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 but Brown indicated the filly will head to his New York base for her next outing.
Bred in Kentucky, Ready to Act was sold for $200,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. She has now posted 3 wins in 6 starts for Klaravich Stables and earned over $236,600.
