More Than Ready

5th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 3:15p.m. ET Going to post carrying the legendary Claiborne colors is STRIFE (War Front), a homebred for the storied operation under the tutelage of Christophe Clement. Out of Black Dynamite (More Than Ready), a winning half-sister to MGSW Chocolate Ride (Candy Ride {Arg})--himself a course-record setter in the GII Melvin H. Muniz Jr. H., Strife is the first to the races for that mare. Her dam is also a half-sister to GISW Killer Graces (Congaree), who made a name in Japan as the dam...

by TTROz Coolmore Australia has announced that Shinzo (Aus), the Golden Slipper-winning colt by Snitzel (Aus) and last season's Champion two-year-old, will commence his stud career at their esteemed facility in 2024. His service fee is set at AU$55,000 (inc GST). Shinzo, a prodigious talent both on the track, clinched the G1 Golden Slipper in a stunning display of acceleration, beating Group 1 winners Cylinder (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), and Little Brose (Aus) (Per Incanto {USA}). Colts dominated the finish in the AU$5 million juvenile...

6th-Keeneland, $110,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 4-19, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:11.06, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. EMERY (f, 3, More Than Ready--Athena {MSW, $459,222}, by Street Sense) broke her maiden by 5 3/4 lengths over a muddy course last summer at Saratoga, and then finished fourth in the slop to Eclipse winner Just F Y I (Justify) in the GI Frizette S. during the Belmont at the Big A meet in early October. Poised to kick off her 3-year-old campaign, the dark bay with Lasix was tabbed as the 1-2 choice...

The Lothenbach dispersal of Horses of Racing Age on Fasig-Tipton Digital, run Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, closed with 66 horses selling for $4,840,000 with MSP Minnesota Ready (More Than Ready) leading all lots at a final price of $380,000, changing hands to Richard Colton Jr.. The first in the digital ring, Minnesota Ready was most recently seen Jan. 20 in the Duncan F. Kenner S. at the Fair Grounds, where he again ran third in a blanket finish with SW Sosua Summer (Summer Front) and MSW & MGSP Just...

8th-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 3:15p.m. ET Jumping from the middle of the field and carrying an expensive $650,000 KEESEP tag in addition to Irad Ortiz Jr. is CHP Racing's SPENDALOT (More Than Ready). The full-sister to MGSW & GISP Consumer Spending comes into this race with a consistent work tab for conditioner Chad Brown. Beneath her second dam Shaconage (El Prado {Ire}) is the dam of several Chilean Group and stakes runners including GSW & G1SP Jacare (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky) as well as GSP La Jardinera...

5th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 2:44 p.m. ET On Friday at the Belmont at the Big A meet, trainer Cherie DeVaux and co-owners Martin Schwartz and David Ingordo celebrated Reagan's Flame (Flameaway) coming home a winner over the turf in her first start. Now Schwartz and DeVaux send PURLOIN (Arrogate) to the post looking for a similar outcome. A $200,000 Keeneland September purchase by Midnight Bloodstock, the gray filly went for $400,000 during the OBS April Sale with DeVaux signing the ticket after she went 10 2/5 during...

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:50 p.m. At Churchill Downs Sunday, drawn to the extreme outside is BLOWN COVER (Gun Runner) who will make his first start for an ownership group which includes Spendthrift Farm and Gandharvi Racing. A $650,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, the dark bay colt, bred by Machmer Hall and trained by Brad Cox, is the second offspring to make the races out of a dam who is a half-sister to GII Oaklawn H. hero Cyber Secret (Broken Vow). Also debuting here is Track Phantom (Quality...

Justice Julia (Medaglia d'Oro--Dreaming of Julia) would have been the sexier half of a commonly owned entry that was sent off as the 7-10 favorite in what became the first race of the final week of racing at Saratoga, but the half-sister to champion Malathaat (Curlin) was never truly involved, and entrymate Emery (f, 2, More Than Ready--Athena, by Street Sense) proved more than equal to the task, skipping clear in the final 150 yards to debut impressively. Away in midpack in a scratched-down field of five, Emery tracked from...

Neither wind nor water could stop her, and Roses for Debra (Liam's Map) streaked home at a rain-drenched Saratoga to take the Smart N Fancy S., securing her fourth win in a row in the process. Only once off the board in her career, the grey was last seen putting up a career-high Beyer of 99 en route to winning the GIII Caress S. over this course last month and had two victories over the lawn at Belmont and Pimlico since changing from the barn of Michelle Brafford to Christophe...

2nd-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:07 p.m. The action kicks off with a heavily-loaded maiden race on the Whitney undercard Saturday. A quartet of colts, all first-time starters, take to the dirt led by the inside draw BE YOU (Curlin), the first of a pair of starters for Todd Pletcher. Out of the graded-stakes winning mare Jacaranda, herself a $2,000,000 purchase by this colt's breeder Alpha Delta, Be You already has a stakes-placed full-sister in American West, a $925,000 Keeneland yearling herself. Jacaranda is out of the Distorted Humor mare...

5th-Woodbine, $111K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7fT, post time: 6:52 p.m. ET    Ready Shakespeare (More Than Ready), a half-brother to three-time Canadian champion and GI Natalma S. heroine Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), gets his career started for trainer Roger Attfield. The Charles Fipke homebred, listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was produced by two-time graded winner Lady Shakespeare (Theatrical {Ire}). This is also the loaded female family of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}), MGISW Shakespeare (Theatrical {Ire}), et al. TJCIS PPs

Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) became the second Grade I winner in the space of a month for her Triple Crown-winning stallion, as she slalomed her way through her rivals in the three-sixteenths of a mile to spring a 15-1 upset in Saturday's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational S. Prerequisite (Upstart), all-the-way winner of the GIII Wonder Again S. last time, held for second after once again making the running, while the slow-starting Papilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) closed nicely for third. Equipped with a...