Ready to Act the best in Beaumont

Ready to Act the best in Beaumont

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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