Tom’s Ready Catches Stallwalkin’ Dude in Bold Ruler

Stallwalkin' Dude looked like a winner in the Belmont Park stretch, but with a late run, GMB Racing's Tom's Ready pulled ahead in the final strides to a victory in the $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) Oct. 28. 

GMB Racing's 4-year-old son of More Than Ready  and future Spendthrift Farm stallion, who is scheduled to start stud duties for the 2018 breeding season, won by three-quarters of a length for trainer Dallas Stewart. 

"We want to get him to the Cigar Mile, try to get him a grade 1 win. It's an iconic race and it would be a great way for him to end his career," said Bentley Combs, assistant to Stewart. 

"I thought it was great. There was a lot of early speed so it set up pretty well for him. He's got a great late kick, he's always had that, so it's always come down to where he's positioned in the race as to whether he can use that to get up to win. He's a great honest horse. You love to see him win because he's been so honest."

In the seven-furlong test, Tom's Ready was at the back of the nine-horse field through the early stages of the race as Green Gratto led through fractions of :22.05 and :44.79 for a half-mile. Around the turn, Stallwalkin' Dude made a big move going seven-wide and came into the stretch with a 2 1/2-length advantage. But Tom's Ready, who was angled wider by jockey Joel Rosario, came running and chipped away at Stallwalkin' Dude's lead, eventually catching him right before the wire. The final time was 1:22.06. 

Beasley was nosed out by Stallwalkin' Dude for second. Seymourdini was fourth with favorite Divining Rod in fifth. Green Gratto, Mr. Crow, Tale of S'avall, and Awesome Banner completed the order of finish. 

"The pace on the front was good and he had a nice run in the end," Rosario said. "I looked back for a second, it took him a little bit of time to really get there but he got the job done. 

"We were a little wide going into the stretch, we were trying to be in the clear because when the dirt hits him a little in the face he doesn't go forward, he just stays there. I was trying to make him feel comfortable."

Sent off at 8-1, Tom's Ready returned $18, $6.60, and $4.10 across the board. 

The Bold Ruler marked the first graded stakes win of the year for Tom's Ready, who entered off back-to-back thirds in the Sept. 23 Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont and the Aug. 26 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Before that, he won the one-mile Leemat Stakes at Presque Isle Downs by a head July 9. As a 3-year-old, he won the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) and the Ack Ack Stakes (G3). 

Bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm out of the Broad Brush mare Goodbye Stranger, Tom's Ready was a $145,000 purchase by GMB Racing out of the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale. With his win Saturday, he improves his record to 5-4-3 from 20 starts with earnings of $1,013,767.