Tom's Ready Stretches Out for Kelso
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coady Photography
Tom's Ready wins the Leemat Stakes at Presque Isle Downs
After a placing in the Forego Stakes (G1) last time out, G M B Racing's Tom's Ready will stretch out to the one-mile distance Sept. 23 in the $300,000 Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park.
The 4-year-old More Than Ready colt has two wins at the mile distance and they represent his last two victories. Prior to the Forego, where he came in third behind four-length winner Drefong, Tom's Ready took the Leemat Stakes July 9 at Presque Isle Downs and also scored in the Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs in October of 2016. Other starts at a mile include grade 1 tries in the Mohegan Sun Metropolitan Handicap (seventh) and the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (fifth).
"I think the distance will set up fine. He's a tough little horse," said trainer Dallas Stewart. "Drefong is a champion horse, and last time (Tom's Ready) ran pretty well trying to run him down. We didn't get beat far for second, so it was all positive. We'll take our chances in this spot and see what happens."
Tom's Ready has been training at Churchill since the Forego and will travel to New York Sept. 20, Stewart said.
"He seems sharp and looks like he's ready to run," the trainer said. "His energy is good. He's coming off the good race in Saratoga and we know he likes Belmont."
Other than the Met Mile, his only other Belmont appearance was a victory in the 2016 Woody Stephens Stakes (G2). His jockey for that race, Joel Rosario, will have the return call from post 1.
"It'll be fun to watch him ride. They get along good," Stewart said.
Multiple graded stakes winner Sharp Azteca, who finished a far-back second behind Mor Spirit in the Met Mile, came back with a 7 1/4-length score in the Monmouth Cup (G3) July 30.
HAMMONDS: Sharp Azteca Breezes in Monmouth Cup
Trained by Jorge Navarro, Sharp Azteca has finished in the money in his past seven starts, including a victory in the Hardacre Mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) Feb. 11. The 4-year-old son of Freud has never failed to place in six starts at a mile, with a 4-1-1 record.
Divining Rod will make his Belmont debut after a fourth-place finish in the Forego. Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the 5-year-old son of Tapit will make his second straight graded stakes start after he won the Polynesian by 6 1/4 lengths Aug. 12 at Laurel Park.
BLOODHORSE STAFF: Divining Rod Makes Winning Return in Polynesian
In his most recent start at one mile, Divining Rod dueled with Connect for supremacy in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) Nov. 26 at Aqueduct Racetrack, where he finished second by a head. That marked the first time in four starts the Kentucky-bred failed to win at the distance.
Belmont Park, Saturday, September 23, 2017, Race 9Entries: Kelso H. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Tom's Ready (PA)
Joel Rosario
117
Dallas Stewart
8/1
2
2Tommy Macho (KY)
Joe Bravo
117
Todd A. Pletcher
10/1
3
3Ross (IRE)
Rajiv Maragh
116
Peter Schiergen
20/1
4
4Divining Rod (KY)
Daniel Centeno
117
Arnaud Delacour
2/1
5
5Sharp Azteca (KY)
Paco Lopez
124
Jorge Navarro
4/5
6
6Bird Song (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
116
Ian R. Wilkes
12/1
