Regally Ready seeks big payday in Cigar Mile

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Regally Ready went four years between starts on dirt. But when he returned to that surface three months ago, he ran the race of his life, winning a stakes at Mountaineer by 12 1/2 lengths.

Now riding a three-race winning streak – with two of those wins on dirt – the 7-year-old Regally Ready will need to once again be in top form when he starts in Saturday’s Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, the final Grade 1 race of the year on this circuit.

Regally Ready drew post 8 in a field of nine entered Wednesday for the Cigar Mile. As a winner of a Breeders’ Cup race – he captured the 2011 Turf Sprint – Regally Ready is running for the winner’s share of a $1 million purse. Secret Circle, the 2013 BC Sprint winner, is doing the same. He drew post 6.

Grade 1 winners Private Zone (post 1) and Itsmyluckyday (post 2) are running for the winner’s share of a $750,000 purse. Noble Moon (post 3), Vyjack (post 4), Transparent (post 5), Big Business (post 7), and Bourbon Courage (post 9) are running for the winner’s share of $500,000.

The Cigar Mile tops a 10-race card that also includes the Grade 2 Remsen, which drew a field of 14 juveniles; the Grade 2 Demoiselle, which drew eight juvenile fillies; and the Grade 3 Comely Stakes, where a three-horse Godolphin Racing entry heads a nine-horse field. First post Saturday is noon Eastern.

Trainer Steve Asmussen always felt that Regally Ready trained well on dirt, but as a six-time stakes winner on turf, it was hard to change surfaces. When the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup on Aug. 2 was transferred from the turf to the dirt, Asmussen elected to run. Regally Ready responded with a monster performance, albeit against lesser company.

“He’s that versatile,” Asmussen said. “He’s a horse that’s won three graded stakes at five furlongs on turf and has done what he’s done on the dirt.”

Following his win on dirt, Regally Ready returned to turf to win the $200,000 More Than Ready Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Regally Ready was being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita but was relegated to the alternate list and never drew in. Instead, he ran in the Big Bear Stakes on dirt, winning again by a half-length.

Noting the huge money for which Regally Ready is running, Asmussen said, “This is a huge opportunity for him. I expect him to run extremely well.”

John Velazquez will ride Regally Ready, becoming the 15th jockey to ride the gelding.

Remsen draws 14

Multiple entrants from five trainers swelled the field for Saturday’s $400,000 Remsen Stakes to 14 juveniles in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Though Mark Casse entered two – Flashaway and Moonlight Bandit – he may run only one since he named Cornelio Velasquez on both. Flashaway was second in a first-level allowance race in his only dirt start, while Moonlight Bandit comes off a maiden win on dirt at Churchill on Oct. 26.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who finished second in last year’s Remsen with Cairo Prince, entered the maiden winners Classy Class and Frosted, who drew posts 11 and 14.

Ostrolenka, who drew post 12, is the lone stakes winner in the field, having taken the Sleepy Hollow Stakes for New York-breds. He is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also entered Keeneland maiden winner Royal Burgh.

Trainer Chad Brown (Leave the Light On and Market Conduct) and Dale Romans (Keen Ice and Thirtysevenliveson) also entered two horses.

Angela Renee tops Demoiselle

The Grade 1 winner Angela Renee, who finished 10th as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, will try to bounce back against seven rivals in Saturday’s $400,000 Demoiselle for 2-year-old fillies.

Pletcher also was considering entering Feathered, fourth in the Juvenile Fillies, but said Wednesday that Feathered would run in the Starlet at Los Alamitos on Dec. 13.

Pletcher said Angela Renee was bumped by Feathered and lost some position in the Juvenile Fillies but otherwise had no plausible excuse. She will break from post 7 under Velazquez.

Condo Commando, the winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway, and Jacaranda, the winner of the Grade 2 Tempted, head the competition. Condo Commando, who gets a rider change to Joel Rosario, worked four furlongs in 51.66 seconds over a muddy Aqueduct main track Wednesday.

Also entered were Calamity Kate, Gap Year, My Cara, Quezon, and Save Rock and Roll.

Godolphin runs 3 in Comely

Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum’s Godolphin Racing, which won the Comely Stakes last year with Wedding Toast, entered three horses in Saturday’s $400,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Trainer Tom Albertrani said he planned to scratch Snowbell from Friday’s Grade 3 Go for Wand to run in the Comely. Snowbell will be coupled with Penwith and Divided Attention, both trained by McLaughlin.

Princess Violet was entered in the Comely, but trainer Mike Hushion said he planned to keep her in the Go for Wand.