Ready to Act and Verrazano give their sire More Than Ready his two chances at this year’s Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup championships at Santa Anita Park.
The brilliant 3-year-old Verrazano, More Than Ready’s lifetime leading North American earner, will go postward from stall 10 in the $1 million Dirt Mile (G1). Undefeated in six lifetime starts up to nine furlongs, Verrazano dominated races such as the Grade 1 Haskell I., where he earned the year’s best 116 Beyer Speed Figure, and Wood Memorial (G1).
A $250,000 Keeneland September yearling, Verrazano was bred by Emery Hamilton out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Enchanted Rock, also the dam of Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes winner El Padrino.
Verrazano, who will be ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher, is the 3-1 morning line favorite for the Mile.
Post time for the Dirt Mile, race 8 on Friday, is 6:05 pm ET.
Ready to Act is part of a 14-horse field in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf, also on Friday, drawing post 11 for trainer Chad Brown and jockey Joel Rosario.
With just two starts to date, Ready to Act’s young career has been filled with adventure. In her debut July 22 at Saratoga, she had to alter course substantially but still managed to get up for the win. Shipped to Woodbine for the Grade 2 Natalma S. on Sept. 14, she was seemingly on her way to victory when she veered in the stretch and unseated to her rider.
Since then, the gray or roan filly has worked very well on the Belmont grass and shipped to Santa Anita on a Tuesday flight.
Post time for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, race 9 on Friday, is 6:50 pm ET.
