Donegal Racing's Ready To Purrform and jockey Joel Rosario led all the way in Friday's Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga, defeating what his trainer Brad Cox called a “good group of horses” by 1 1/4 lengths at the wire. Sent off as the co-second choice at odds of 7-2, the sophomore son of Kitten's Joy ran out fractions of :23.66, :47.17, and 1:10.72, completing one mile over the firm inner turf course in 1:33.99.
“He showed up and put them away turning for home and he really ran well,” Cox said. “It didn't look like there was much speed on paper. It looked like the one [No. 1 Chanceux] would go and maybe we could track that colt, but he didn't get away quite as well as we did. Joel [Rosario] did take this colt away and let him warm up a bit because that was the intent on being forwardly placed with the lack of speed on paper. Overall, I'm very proud of the performance. I thought it was a big race.”
Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm, Ready To Purrform was a $150,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale. He is out of the winning More Than Ready mare Elementar, a half-sister to Sovereign Award winner Grand Adventure. Ready to Purrform won the Laurel Futurity last fall just after breaking his maiden, and has not finished off the board in three stakes starts this year.
Trying turf for the first time in his career, Todd Pletcher trainee Wit ran on well to finish second, closing from sixth with a four-wide run under Jose Ortiz.
“I thought he [Wit] ran really well,” Pletcher said. “He closed super-fast, we just didn't get it. He handled it [turf] really well, just closed too late and had a little too much to do turning for home.”
Celestial City got up for third, while post-time favorite Tiz The Bomb finished fourth. The remaining order of finish was: Double Clutch, Wow Whata Summer, Stolen Base, and Chanceux.
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