Ready's Image picture perfect in Tremont

Belmont Park offered three stakes on Sunday, with two of the events

highlighting promising juveniles for the upcoming Saratoga meet. James T. Scatuorchio's READY'S IMAGE (More Than Ready) was the most impressive winner of

all three races, taking the $110,600

Tremont S.

by a dominating 7 3/4 lengths. In the process, the dark bay colt gave jockey John

Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher a sweep of the two juvenile tests.

Nordic Wind (Cartwright) pushed his way through the field at the start to

take up front-running duties under Kendrick Carmouche, but Ready's Image and

Velazquez didn't make it easy on him. Pressing all the way on the outside, the

eventual winner took the advantage entering the turn and then easily turned back

a challenge from Izzy Speaking (Partner's Hero) to complete the 5 1/2-furlong

event in 1:02 4/5.

Twenty Eight Hours (Sky Mesa) followed Izzy Speaking by 2 1/4 lengths, while

Lantana Mob (Posse), Holidaze (Harlan's Holiday), Fort Drum (Wiseman's Ferry),

Nordic Wind and Fast Talking (Hennessy) followed under the line.

Ready's Image broke his maiden in his debut by 3 1/4 lengths on Keeneland's

Polytrack, then was sent to try stakes company in the Kentucky Breeders' Cup S.

(G3). Running two and three wide throughout that 5 1/2-furlong event on the

sloppy, sealed, Churchill track, Ready's Image rallied to get third that day.

By emulating his sire, who captured the 1999 Tremont S. when it was a Grade 3,

the two-year-old now boasts

$111,422

in lifetime earnings.

"It's scary how much he reminds us of More Than Ready and that's why we

bought him," Pletcher said. "I have to give my dad a lot of credit for both him

and (Astoria S. winner) Glacken's Gal because he picked them both out, broke

them and had them ready for us."

Out of the winning Clever Trick mare Clever Phrase, Ready's Image counts

multiple stakes-placed Yingyingying (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) as a half-sister.

This is the same female family as 2002 Pacific Classic (G1) and Santa Anita

Derby (G1) hero Came Home.

Pletcher said that Ready's Image could show up next in either the $150,000

Sanford S. (G2) on July 26 or the $150,000 Saratoga Special (G2) on August 16.

Beginning the stakes action on Sunday, Let's Go Stable's GLACKEN'S GAL (Smoke Glacken) wired the field in the

$109,300 Astoria S., finishing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03 4/5 under Velazquez.

Urged to the front when the gates opened, the Pletcher trainee took

up a position just slightly off the rail, setting splits of :21 4/5 and :45 1/5

while tracked on the outside by Pure and Simple (Trippi) and My Mammy (Came

Home). Rounding the turn, Pure and Simple began backing up, but My Mammy was

still to the outside of Glacken's Gal while Dubit (E Dubai) rallied up along

the rail. Eventually, the latter two pulled off from My Mammy, with Dubit trying

valiantly to get to the leader, but Glacken's Gal was able to repel her rival,

finishing two lengths in front on the line.

Dubit was easily best of the rest, four lengths clear of My Mammy, who was

followed by Halcyon (Aldebaran), Bridal Song (Vicar), and Pure and Simple. Snow

Storm Lady (Snow Ridge) was scratched.

Sent off the near 3-1 second choice, Glacken's Gal moved her record to a

perfect two-for-two after taking her maiden debut by 3 1/2 lengths on May 31

over the track. The New York-bred juvenile lass increased her earnings to

$90,180 with this win, and is out of multiple stakes-placed Lady Diplomat

(Silver Deputy), making her a half-sister to stakes winner City Dweller (Carson

City).

Pletcher mentioned the $100,000 Schuylerville S. (G3) on Saratoga's opening

day, July 25, as a possible next start for Glacken's Gal.

Also on Belmont's Sunday card, West Point Stable's LEAR'S PRINCESS (Lear Fan) came from last to

secure a half-length score in the $67,200

Tweedside S. With Garrett Gomez in the irons,

the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained three-year-old circled the entire field on the

final turn and hooked up with a closing Christies Treasure (Belong to Me) at the

top of the stretch. Those two battled it out for a few strides, but Lear's

Princess was too good for her rival, pulling off to stop the clock for 1 1/16

miles on the firm inner turf in 1:41 4/5.

Lear's Princess has made steady progress through her conditions, breaking her

maiden by a nose at first asking on Keeneland's Polytrack before taking a grassy

first-level allowance over Belmont's turf on May 24 by 3 3/4 lengths. Now

three-for-three, the bay sophomore has earned $99,100.