Tom's Ready, making his first appearance since a well-beaten 12th-place finish in the GI Kentucky Derby, exploded on the turnback in distance to seven furlongs here, producing a powerful stretch rally to register a career high.
A maiden winner at third asking at Churchill at this trip last September, Tom's Ready hadn't gotten his picture since, but was runner-up in three stakes attempts–Churchill's Street Sense S. Nov. 1 and the GIII LeComte S. Jan. 16 and GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 26, both at Fair Grounds, respectively.
In his first start without blinkers since last fall, he was immediately outsprinted and trailed the field of 12 through hot fractions of :21.77 and :44.40 while the unbeaten speedster Justin Squared (Zensational) showed the way. Tom's Ready began to launch a rail rally beneath Joel Rosario on the far turn and was angled out while pulling hard toward the grandstand in midstretch. He was soon steered back inward and rallied toward daylight in between horses to win going away. Longshot Fish Trappe Road ran a huge race to hold second after forcing the early issue.
“That was a great ride, wasn't it?,” trainer Dallas Stewart commented. “The way he rode this horse, was like an [Angel] Cordero ride. He came running. I took a shot taking the blinkers off because he looks around. I took them off for his work and he worked good. It's like Wayne Lukas always taught us; don't be afraid to take a shot. Make a change sometimes and see what happens.”
Stewart continued, “I thought he'd be laying fourth or fifth and make that punch, but obviously he likes this one-turn stuff, laying back and moving strong like this. I think we'll keep him at one turn. He won't run a lot more. He's run hard all year. I'm going to freshen him up and point him to maybe the [GI] King's Bishop at Saratoga and then the Breeders' Cup [Sprint at Santa Anita].”
The winner's dam Goodbye Stranger, a maiden of three career starts, has a 2-year-old filly by Creative Cause; a yearling filly by Lemon Drop Kid; and foaled a filly by Gemologist earlier this year. Blackstone Farm purchased Goodbye Stranger for $40,000 while carrying Tom's Ready at the 2013 KEEJAN sale.
Saturday, Belmont Park
WOODY STEPHENS S.-GII, $500,000, BEL, 6-11, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.38, ft.
1–#@TOM'S READY, 117, c, 3, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Goodbye Stranger, by Broad Brush
2nd Dam: Prime Investor, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Starushka, by Sham
($145,000 RNA Wlg '13 KEENOV; $145,000 Ylg '14 FTSAUG).
O-G M B Racing; B-Blackstone Farm LLC (PA); T-Dallas Stewart;
J-Joel Rosario. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 11-2-4-0, $577,220.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-congrats-blackstone”][bullet ad=”kirkwood-shell”][bullet ad=”pa-bred”]2–Fish Trappe Road, 117, c, 3, Trappe Shot–Electric Shock, by
Cure the Blues. ($140,000 Ylg '14 SARAUG; $95,000 2yo '15
OBSMAR). O-Martin Racing Stable LLC; B-Rhapsody Faarm LLC
& Jon Davis (NY); T-W. Bret Calhoun. $100,000.[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”nytb-1000″]3–Star Hill, 117, c, 3, Elusive Quality–Padmore, by French
Deputy. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II.
$60,000.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”]Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 7.60, 25.50, 15.70.
Also Ran: Sharp Azteca, Dig Deep, Tale of S'avall, Seymourdini, Counterforce, Awesome Gent, Mrazek, Justin Squared, Imperial Hint. Scratched: I Will Score.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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