Northlands Park: Ready Racer will bide his time in feature race
Ready Racer should have a quick pace to work with when he runs in a $40,000 optional claiming race that will serve as the Saturday feature at Northlands Park. The six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up drew eight horses and with four wins in his last five starts Ready Racer looks like the one to beat.
Trained by Dale Saunders, Ready Racer finished with a rush to edge Major Temper by a neck in his first start of the year in a $30,000 claiming race May 21. The step up in class shouldn’t be an issue. Ready Racer closed out 2011 with another narrow win in a $40,000 optional race at 6 1/2 furlongs. In both races he was well back during the early stages before he mowed them down late. It was a change of style for the 6-year-old gelding. He set the pace when he won a $17,500 claimer last Aug. 6 and he was on the lead at the quarter pole when he won a $30,000 claiming race in his next start Sept. 2. In his only recent loss he forced the pace before tiring to finish third behind Reggie Dunlop in a $40,000 optional race Sept. 21.
Gone in a Flash, Bond James Bond, and Tiny Giant all have good speed so it is likely jockey Kyle Carter won’t be in any hurry with Ready Racer.
Gone in a Flash appears to have just one way of going and he used his good speed to win a 3 1/2-furlong $40,000 optional claiming race when he came back from a long layoff May 12. Trained by Ron Grieves, Gone in a Flash hadn’t raced since he won a $32,000 optional claiming race for 3-year-olds on July 31, 2010. The homebred gelding has won four of his six career starts and his best race may have been his second-place finish behind Grade 3 Canadian Derby winner No Hesitation in the $50,000 Western Canada Handicap. The only time he finished worse than second was in his only route attempt when he dueled for the lead before tiring to finish fourth in the mile and sixteenth Harry Jeffrey Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.
Tiny Giant set a very fast pace when he won a similar race May 26 but he drew the outside post and will have his hands full with Gone in a Flash breaking inside of him from post 4.
Smile N Wave rallied to finish second behind Tiny Giant in his first start of the year and figures to benefit from the expected duel.