Ready Racer seeks three-peat in Sun Sprint Championship

Ready Racer will try for the hat trick when he runs in the $50,000 Sun Sprint Championship at Northlands Park on Monday. He won the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up in each of the past two years. However, he will need to get back on track to win what appears to be a wide-open event.

He drew the outside post in the 11-horse field, but with his running style, it probably won’t hurt him. A deep closer, what Ready Racer needs is a hot and contested pace, which he should get with Tigger Town and Red Red Rose in the field.

Trained by Dale Saunders, Ready Racer came from last to win the Sun Sprint by 9 1/4 lengths in 2012. The 98 Beyer Speed Figure he earned is the best at the distance at Northlands since 1999. Last year, Ready Racer received a 75 Beyer for his 4 1/4-length win in the race.

SUN SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP (RACE 7)

KEY CONTENDERS

Ready Racer (Last 3 Beyers: 65-78-46)

* He is coming off a dull third behind Red Red Rose in a $35,000 claiming race July 5, but he might have bounced after edging Red Red Rose in a similar race in his previous effort.

Formulator Fact: Over the past five years, Saunders has won with 35 percent of his starters in non-graded stakes at Northlands.

Tigger Town (Last 3 Beyers: 41-97-66)

* An 11 1/2-length winner of a $35,000 optional-claiming sprint May 19, the speedy Kentucky-bred 4-year-old will appreciate the move back to a sprint after forcing a rapid pace before fading while going around three turns in the one-mile, $51,000 Spangled Jimmy on June 7.

* According to Formulator, over the past five years, trainer Greg Tracy has a 26 percent strike rate with horses going from a route to a sprint.

Red Red Rose (Last 3 Beyers: 82-78-71)

* Trained by Tim Rycroft, he owns the best last-race Beyer in the field, but he will need to avoid an all-out war for the lead with Tigger Town to have any chance of winning.

Yes He's Trouble (Last 3 Beyers: 75-77-56)

* This is a big step up in class, but the flow of the race should work for him, and he is a very sharp horse coming off back-to-back wins for trainer Cindy Cummins.