More Than Ready

Ready’s Image did his daddy proud, winning the G2 Sanford today at Saratoga, just as More Than Ready did back in 1999. If he stays healthy, this colt will be among the best in the BC Juvenile. As much as I like him, I remain equally impressed with The Roundhouse, the half-brother of Circular Quay, who is a monstrous deep closer, as proven today when Tale of Ekati held him off (by a nose) for place money. What concerns me about The Roundhouse is the potential fragility…his dam Circle of Life was retired after fracturing her left front cannon bone as a three-year-old in the Test Stakes at Saratoga in 2000, and his full-brother Circle The World (by Fusaichi Pegasus) was euthanized at 3, after fracturing his leg in training incident at Hollywood Park. It could be just bad luck, or something more…

Two-year-old filly phenom One Hot Wish worked five furlongs handily in 59:60 (2/41) at Del Mar today, reporting in preparation for the August 8 G3 Sorrento Stakes. Her connections passed on running her against the boys in last Wednesday’s Graduation Stakes. Her first (and only race thus far) was an April 12 maiden special weight at Keeneland, where she destroyed a field that included Lantana Mob, by over 12 lengths in world record time for 4-1/2 furlongs.

Pregnant mares Iron Goddess and Sabellina are both running in Friday’s $80,000 Dinner Diamond Stakes (1 mile turf) at Saratoga, and I’ll be rooting hard for Iron Goddess, another offspring of More Than Ready. She broke her maiden last September on Saratoga’s dirt track, but is 2 for 2 since switching to turf (and being impregnated). I still haven’t read the whole story about how she came to be in a motherly way…anyone care to enlighten me? As much as I love her, I would not be surprised to see Rewrite win this day, as she is 2 for 2 at the one mile distance. Sabellina does better at the longer the distance, so this probably is not quite right for her, but she finished a solid third against males last out.

In Friday’s other stakes race at Saratoga, the G3 Lake George Stakes, I very much like Patrick Biancone’s Good Mood who has improved dramatically since coming off a layoff. Rutherienne (who deadheat for a win in the G3 Sands Point with my Bit of Whimsy) looks strong here too. However, if I was looking for a longshot to upset here, look no further than Graham Motion’s Bees who tries turf for the first time, and gets Ramon Dominguez up to boot.