Ready for Romance stays perfect in Ontario Damsel

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The upwardly mobile Ready for Romance extended her unbeaten record to three races in her turf debut Saturday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes.

Ready for Romance ($6.50) went straight to the front under Eurico Da Silva and set moderate fractions with the wind at her back in the one-mile turf route. The favored Season Ticket came wide from last through the stretch, but her rally fell a head short of Ready for Romance, who completed the distance in 1:34.73 over firm ground.

Green Doctor finished a game third in the six-horse field of Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies, from which Internal Bourbon was scratched.

It was the eighth victory in the Ontario Damsel for Sam-Son Farm, and Ready for Romance banked $90,000.

“We had this race or tomorrow’s Duchess Stakes in mind for her,” trainer Malcolm Pierce said. “We thought she’d like the turf enough, and this race was restricted, so we went here.”