HOT on the heels of Knoydart becoming More Than Ready’s 121st stakeswinner, number 122 arrived in the shape of the impressive 3yo U.S filly Ready To Act.
Ready to Act made amends for blowing a winning lead in a Group 2 last year with a belated black-type win over a mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
The daughter of Vinery champion More Than Ready has won 2 of her 5 starts now and was a handful for jockey Javier Castellano on the way to victory in the Sweetest Chant Stakes LR(1600m).
“She kept looking around in the stretch,” Castellano said. “Maybe she gets lost a little bit when she gets to the front. But she’s got so much talent. When the other horses came back she took off again and galloped out beautifully.”
The grey filly scored by a half-length from Party Now (Tiznow) with another More Than Ready filly Room Service in third. The Florida result extended More Than Ready’s stakes-winner mark to 122.
Ready to Act (3f More Than Ready – Always Auditioning by Mizzen Mast) should have joined that list last September when she raced to a winning lead in the G2 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine. But she ducked in sharply at the furlong and unseated jockey Rajiv Maragh.
“She’s been a challenge, alright,” trainer Chad Brown admitted. “She was lugging in again today, so I will focus on getting her steering fixed before we pick out another race.”
Ready to Act began her career with a win on turf at Saratoga last July. She followed up with that fall at Woodbine and then led the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita before fading to finish sixth.
Bred in Kentucky, Ready to Act was sold for $200,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. She is from a sister to 2008 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track.
More Than Ready will be represented by 41 lots at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April second only to Fastnet Rock.
The Vinery Stud resident is not yet half-way through another marvellous season here and abroad highlighted by Australasian stakeswinners Samaready, More Than Sacred, Better Than Ready, War, Mahisara, Diamond King and last Friday night’s Canterbury Classic winner Knoydart.
More Than Ready is also featuring prominently as a broodmare sire with his daughters having produced Group 1 winners Rebel Dane, Miracles Of Life, Atlante and the recent Magic Millions winner, Golden Slipper bound Unencumbered (by Testa Rossa).
