Minnesota Ready surges past Just Might in Colonial Power Stakes

Owner Richard Colton paid big money, $380,000, to purchase the 5-year-old gelding Minnesota Ready late last month in the online auction to disperse the racing and breeding stock owned by the late Bob Lothenbach. Minnesota Ready already has started paying off.

Sweeping past pacesetting Just Might, Minnesota Ready splashed home to a 3 1/2-length victory Saturday at Fair Grounds in the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes, his first start for Colton and trainer Tom Amoss.

The Colonel Power was carded for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, but was switched to the main track Saturday morning and run over a sloppy, sealed surface. A three-time winner on dry dirt, Minnesota Ready, Joel Rosario up, skipped over the slop while validating his favoritism. Minnesota Ready clocked a snappy 1:03.05 and paid $4.60. Just Might held the lead past the eighth pole and, while no match for the winner, stayed on for second by 2 3/4 lengths over Pirate Rick.

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By More Than Ready out of Eden Prairie, by Mizzen Mast, Minnesota Ready is a Lothenbach homebred trained during his first 21 starts by Neil Pessin. Minnesota Ready was campaigned earlier in his career as a route horse with a focus on turf, making 11 of his first 12 starts at seven furlongs or longer, 10 of those at a mile or more.

The gelding hit another level, however, when he was cut back to sprints about a year ago, though Minnesota Ready made three more starts at one mile last summer and in October. The hefty price tag likely had something to do with Minnesota Ready’s new connections believing he had untapped potential in the sprint ranks, as appeared to be the case Saturday.

Sitting fourth going to the three-eighths pole under Rosario’s steady hand, Minnesota Ready picked up steam turning for home and came rolling three to four paths from the fence, collaring Just Might past the eighth pole on the way to his first black-type triumph.

Fast main track, wet main track, turf – Colton and Amoss have options with their newfound stakes horse.

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