Ready for the Lady on an upswing

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stakes winner Ready for the Lady meets the upwardly mobile Gaston and three others in Saturday’s featured conditioned allowance with an $80,000 claiming option at Woodbine, scheduled for 1 1/4 miles on the main turf.

A 4-year-old trained by Roger Attfield, Ready for the Lady went directly from his overdue maiden victory in July of last year to the Grade 3 Singspiel in September. Sent off at 14-1 in the 1 3/8-mile Singspiel, he made a sweeping wide move from a trailing sixth in the stretch to score by three-quarters of a length over the more accomplished British Royalty.

Ready for the Lady got off to a sluggish start this year before putting it all together in his second appearance at this meet. That 1 1/4-mile conditioned allowance was moved from the main turf to the Tapeta, and the son of More Than Ready was a surprisingly easy 2 1/4-length winner with an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, which wasn’t far off the 91 Beyer he received in the Singspiel.

Sahin Civaci retains the mount on Ready for the Lady for owner/breeder Charles Fipke, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

Gaston has been a late bloomer under the guidance of trainer Kevin Attard. The 4-year-old cleared the first allowance condition in a dead heat on Dec. 11 before getting the winter off.

Gaston doubled up in his May 28 season opener in a conditioned allowance. Five weeks later on a smoggy Canada Day in the Grade 3 Dominion Day, he closed belatedly for third behind Tyson and Treason, the top two older male runners on the grounds.

Gaston is making his first turf start since being promoted from fifth to fourth by disqualification after playing the role of pacesetter in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Stakes here Oct. 2. His maiden victory came over 1 1/16 miles on the main course, and 1 1/4 miles seems within his range. Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride the son of Hard Spun.

Golden Glider went to the sidelines after notching his first stakes over Gulfstream’s Tapeta in the Tropical Park Derby on Dec. 26. He finished sixth off a layoff in the Grade 3 Dominion Day, and most recently could only manage fifth as the favorite at this level.

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Golden Glider is making his turf debut and is by the 13 percent grass sire Ghostzapper. His dam was unplaced on turf, and just one of her three turf runners were victorious. Kazushi Kimura takes over in the saddle for trainer Mark Casse, a 20 percent combination rate.

Malibu Mambo has been knocking on the door in his attempt to win the third allowance condition. The win-shy 6-year-old prevailed in his lone 1 1/4-mile start in a second-level allowance in September 2021.

Completing the field is Dun Drum, a three-time Ontario-sired stakes winner who finished behind Malibu Moon in each of his last two outings.

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