Ready A. P. all set to take on males in Rick Violette Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ready A. P. is the only filly among the five New York-bred 2-year-olds entered for Wednesday’s $100,000 Rick Violette Stakes. Many may see that as a disadvantage, but not the person whose opinion matters most, trainer Christophe Clement.

Ready A. P. broke slowly and was jostled between horses after the start when debuting against her own kind on July 1 at Belmont Park. After dropping well back of the others following the incident, Ready A. P. made a steady run under jockey Luis Saez, readily overtaking the leader into the stretch before drawing off and steadily increasing her advantage while kept to task to the wire. She has worked once in the interim, four furlongs from the gate in 48.00 under Saez here on July 15.

“She was actually supposed to run Thursday against fillies in the Stillwater, but when the racing office told me the race wasn’t going to fill, I entered her against the boys in this spot,” Clement said. “Which is probably a good thing because I made five in there, or this race might not have gone either.”

Clement said he was very pleased with Ready A. P.’s performance in her debut and acknowledged she’s done extremely well prepping for her stakes bow.

“She won very impressively. I’m bringing her back too quick, but I don’t like my choices, which were to either run now or wait for New York Showcase day [on Aug. 27],” Clement said. “She’s been training very well. She had a very nice work in between with Luis.

“She broke a little slow the first time and it was a nightmare, so I worked her from the gate and she broke very well in the morning.”

Clement said he has no issue running Ready A. P. against the boys on Wednesday. She drew post position 5.

“I think usually, this time of year, the [2-year-old] fillies have an edge,” Clement said. “And I love her post. [Saez] can do whatever he wants with her from out there.”

Clement was also excited at the prospect of winning a race named in honor of Rick Violette, the longtime president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, who died in 2018.

“Rick did so much for all of us, owner, trainers, and all the people on the backstretch. He took care of us forever,” said Clement. “And I’m very grateful they named a race in his honor.”

Ready A. P. is one of three undefeated juveniles in the lineup, along with the Mike Maker-trained duo of Run Curtis Run and Barese.

Run Curtis Run earned his diploma at first asking in a race switched from the turf to a sloppy main track on July 2 at Belmont, disputing the pace from start to finish with Surprise Boss while prevailing by a neck as the even-money favorite. The latter will get a chance to avenge that setback as the lone maiden in the field.

Barese was a debut winner for Maker on May 21 at Belmont, rallying from just off the pace to a half-length decision as the even-money favorite. He has not started since, with only two works in the interim, including five panels in 1:03 here on July 11.

“We’ve had high expectations for both of them and so far neither has disappointed,” said Maker. “Both are doing well coming into the race.”

Coinage finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Barese, to launch his career before returning to flatter the race with a 7 3/4-length maiden win when stretching to 5 1/2 furlongs four weeks later at Belmont.