Relatively Ready's position improves

ELMONT, N.Y. - A pick-six carryover of $51,496 and two Grade 3 stakes with Breeders' Cup implications spice up Wednesday's nine-race card at Belmont Park.

Due to the wet weather that hit the area over the weekend, the New York Racing Association postponed both the Pilgrim, for juvenile colts, and Miss Grillo, for juvenile fillies, from Sunday to Wednesday hoping for drier conditions. Unfortunately, there were showers forecast for Tuesday night into Wednesday, which means both $150,000 races - which are part of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In program - are likely to be run on soft turf.

That prospect prompted trainer Todd Pletcher on Monday morning to put Bittel Road - the probable Pilgrim favorite - on a plane headed to Kentucky, where he will run in Sunday's $200,000 Woodford Reserve Bourbon, also a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.

Bittel Road's defection helps Relatively Ready from two standpoints. First, it takes a top-notch contender out of the race. Second, it allows Relatively Ready to move in one slot from his outside post.

Relatively Ready overcame some trouble in his second start to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden turf race at Saratoga by 1 1/2 lengths. A bit headstrong early, Relatively Ready - who only has one eye - had to be steadied several times by Cornelio Velasquez, who then swung the colt six wide for the stretch drive.

"He broke half a step slow and they outran him into the first turn,'' said trainer David Donk, who seeks his fourth Pilgrim victory. "Then he got up on the bridle and he's got nowhere to go. Cornelio had a stranglehold on him and checked into the first turn. Once he got in the clear he got to running and kept running. He showed he's got some quality.''

Duke of Homberg, a son of Dynaformer, makes his U.S. debut after winning an allowance race in France on July 3. He is owned by Satish Sanan's Padua Stables and trained by Jean-Luc Pelletan.

Elusive Bluff won a one-mile maiden race at odds of 32-1 here on Sept. 5 and was privately sold to Southern Equine Stables and trainer Eric Guillot. He remained in the barn of his first trainer, Billy Badgett, leading up to this race.

Herr Mozart is one of two maidens in this field, but was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths by Bittel Road in the With Anticipation at Saratoga.