Ready for Rye Looms in Bay Shore Stakes

Chalk Racing's Ready for Rye looms a short price in the $300,000 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III) on April 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Fresh off an upset win over the highly touted Daredevil in last month's Fasig-Tipton Swale Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park, Ready for Rye enters the Bay Shore having won two of his four career starts for trainer Tom Albertrani.

In the Swale Stakes, Ready for Rye pressed the early pace of third-choice X Y Jet before taking command after a half-mile was run in :45.36. He easily held off Daredevil, the 2014 Champagne Stakes (gr. I) winner, completing the seven furlongs in 1:22.39 over a fast track.

The Kentucky-bred City Zip   gelding drew post three in the Bay Shore and will be ridden once again by Luis Saez, who was aboard in the Swale.

Ready for Rye began his career finishing second to multiple graded stakes winner Carpe Diem, who is the favorite for this weekend's Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), at Saratoga Race Course on Sept. 1 of last year. He then followed that effort up with a smashing seven-length maiden score in the slop at Belmont Park on Oct. 11.

Ready for Rye made his 3-year-old debut in the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 3, finishing second behind Hutcheson Stakes (gr. III) winner Barbados before upsetting Daredevil, a leading contender for the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I), in the March 3 Swale Stakes.

He was purchased at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling sale for $70,000 and was bred in Kentucky by Soc. Agr. Santa Elena de Chimbarongo LTDA.

Ready for Rye will carry 123 pounds in the Bay Shore, the co-starting highweight with Lord Nelson, who will break from the rail for trainer Bob Baffert.

Lord Nelson will be cutting back to a sprint for Baffert after tiring to fourth in the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) on March 7 at Santa Anita Park.

The 3-year-old son of Pulpit was purchased by John Fort's Peachtree Stable for $340,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale and has won three of six starts, including a gutsy neck score in the Feb. 1 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita.

Baffert saddled Too Much Bling to win the Bay Shore in 2006.

Ackeret, who has won three of five career starts by David Wilkenfeld's Pick Six Racing and Silver Streak stables, will be attempting his first graded stakes win in the Bay Shore after prevailing in the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct on March 8.

Lord Nelson will break from the rail under jockey Joel Rosario and will be followed out by Papa Upa, Ready for Rye, Easy to Say, March, Final Chapter, Ackeret and Majestic Affair.