Ready for Change back on dirt after disappointing turf try

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Be careful what you wish for. Neil Pessin could hardly wait to get a filly named Ready for Change in a grass race, but once he did, she had no run.

“She didn’t like the grass at all, even though she’s bred for it,” said Pessin.

It’s all quite ironic. Ready for Change was sired by More Than Ready, whose progeny are famous for their prowess over grass. In her first two races, both of them run over the Fair Grounds main track after originally being scheduled for turf, Ready for Change looked terrific in knocking out her maiden and first-level allowance conditions with Beyer Speed Figures of 87 and 84, respectively.

Understandably, Pessin was licking his chops – and so were the filly’s backers who sent her away as the favorite – when conditions finally allowed Ready for Change to run April 17 in a second-level allowance going 5 1/2 furlongs over the Keeneland turf. But, alas, she struggled mightily when fading to eighth in her first defeat.

Duly regrouped, Ready for Change returns Sunday in a $104,000 second-level allowance at Churchill Downs. This one is going seven furlongs on dirt.

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“We’re still up in class for the ‘two other than,’ ” said Pessin, “so we’ll have to see if that’s what got us last time, if it wasn’t for her not liking the turf. If she runs like she’s been training, we really should be okay Sunday. Hopefully she’ll turn out to be as good as we think she is.”

A victory Sunday would demonstrate that Ready for Change is indeed a filly of quality, given the depth of the field. Carded as the eighth of 10 races, it drew an oversubscribed lineup that includes such capable runners as Lady Rocket, Windmill, and Tipsy Gal in the main body. Trainer Dallas Stewart said Friday that Tipsy Gal was 50-50 to scratch from the Grade 3 Winning Colors on Saturday night to wait instead for the Sunday race.

In all, 15 are entered, with only as many as 12 permitted to go. Although she was assigned post 11, Ready for Change will wear saddlecloth No. 1 as a stable coupling with another Lothenbach Stables homebred, She Can’t Sing (1A), who likely will scratch as an also-eligible.

The only other allowance Sunday at Churchill directly follows as race 9. It’s also a $104,000 second-level race with an also-eligibles list, although it’s for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on turf. Kentucky Ghost, beaten just a nose for this same condition last month at Keeneland, is among a well-matched group in a main body of eight.

First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the forecast calling for mostly sunny skies and a high of 90.

After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for three days before resuming action with a twilight Thursday card to kick off a five-day week that runs through Memorial Day (May 31).

◗ Pessin said several options are under consideration for his stable star Bell’s the One, most recently fourth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff on the May 1 Kentucky Derby card at Churchill. In play are the June 26 Chicago Stakes at Arlington, the July 3 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream, and the July 10 Dashing Beauty at Delaware.