Vinery champion More Than Ready nailed his latest Group 1 winner when three year old filly Room Service shared the spoils in the Ashland Stakes (1700m) at Keeneland on Saturday.
Part of a Stakes double for her sire, Room Service (3f More Than Ready – Dream Lady by Old Trieste) and Rosalind settled down to a thrilling duel in the closing stages to hit the line locked together. The judge was unable to split the two fillies and they both collected 60 points to qualify for the G1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2.
A homebred for Gary and Mary West, Room Service hasn’t stopped improving since winning her maiden at Kentucky Downs last September. She broke through at stakes level in the G3 Herecomesthebride Stakes (1800m) at Gulfstream Park last month.
More Than Ready mare Ready Signal added another notch to her stakes winning strike-rate in the LR Powder Break Stakes (1700m) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
Ready Signal (5m More Than Ready – Marwood by Marlin) was also coming off a breakthrough in stakes company after winning the LR Ten Palms Stakes (1600m) at the Florida circuit last month. The Kentucky bred mare was a $190,000 buy at the Ocala 2YO Sale in March 2011.
Fellow Vinery sire Congrats weighed in with some black-type of his own on Saturday when Holiday Magic claimed the LR Sophomore Fillies Stakes (1400m) at Tampa Bay. It was her second Listed victory following a four-length runaway in the Brave Raj Stakes at Calder last October.
It completed a tremendous 24 hours for Vinery after resident stallion Mossman reached the summit for sires in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill. His filly Mossfun was a worthy winner of the $3.50 million event and her connections will wait for the dust to settle before deciding whether she backs up in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick.
Mossfun will likely clash with Peggy Jean if she stays in training for The Championships. Peggy Jean is a daughter of Vinery sire Myboycharlie and she was a good thing beaten last time out in the G2 Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill.
Vinery catalogued their usual select draft of 18 yearlings for the Inglis Easter Sale starting this Tuesday. There have been three late withdrawals – the More Than Ready colt from Element Of Danger (Lot 423) and his fillies out of Succeeding (Lot 229) and Astrodame (Lot 328).
