More Than Ready’s top 3-year-old filly Ready to Act got her first graded stakes victory Sunday in the $200,000 Beaumont (G2) at Keeneland. More Than Ready now has eight stakes winners in 2014, including another stellar sophomore filly in Room Service, who won the Grade 1 Ashland S. April 5 at Keeneland.
Last early on, Ready to Act struck the front at the top of the stretch, then dug in to keep Sweet Whiskey at bay to win by a half-length. She covered the Beard Course of seven furlongs, 184 feet in 1:28.08 over the fast main track.
“She really deserved to win a Grade 2,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “She had a race as a 2-year-old up in Canada (the Grade 2 Natalma S. on Sept. 14 at Woodbine) where she was clearly in front and lost the jock and lost her chance to win. (Jockey) Javier (Castellano) did a great job once again (today).”
Owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, Ready to Act posted her third victory in six career starts and boost her earnings to $236,651. She won Gulfstream Park’s Sweet Chant S. on Jan. 26 for her first stakes win.
A 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate for $200,000, Ready to Act was bred in Kentucky by Fred Hetrich III. She is the first foal out of the Mizzen Mast mare Always Auditioning, who is a full sister to Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track.
Brown said he would take Ready to Act to his New York base before deciding where her next start would be.
