Santa Anita: Mitchell seeks quick dividends in Clocker's Corner Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Given that Ready for More uncorked a career-best performance only two weeks ago, handicapping skeptics will expect him to regress when he wheels back on short notice Sunday at Santa Anita.

“I know what everybody says about the bounce theory, but I’m not going to play into it,” trainer Mike Mitchell said. “He doesn’t show any signs of a horse [that is] knocked out.”

Instead, it is onward and upward for the sharp turf sprinter. Ready for More faces eight rivals Sunday in the $75,000 Clocker’s Corner Handicap, a sprint on the same turf course over which he annihilated a field of second-level optional $62,500 claimers on Jan. 12.

The competition is tougher on Sunday. To win the Clocker’s Corner first off the Mitchell claim, Ready for More must put away his pace rivals and hold off the rallies of three worthy comebackers.

Lakerville, no worse than second in all six starts, returns from a 17-month layoff. Sweet Swap, a course specialist who won three of his last six, returns from an eight-month layoff. And the Group 1-winning Argentina import Di Giorgio makes his U.S. debut.

Along with Handsome Mike, Drill, Boat Trip, El Commodore, and Ankeny Hill, the stakes field is strong. But no horse is sharper than Ready for More, whose initial start on the hill produced an emphatic 3 1/2-length win.

Mitchell dropped the claim before the race, on behalf of owner Joseph Sciarra.

“I had no idea what I was going to get,” Mitchell said. “He’s a good-looking horse, a very athletic horse. I was just hoping he might run second, and I could run him back for $62,500.”

Instead, Mitchell picked up a potential stakes horse. In his first try on the hill, Ready for More broke like a shot, set a fast pace with a half-mile in 43.14 seconds, opened up, and was gone.

“I was surprised at how well he ran off the hill, how easy he did it,” Mitchell said.

A 6-for-24 veteran, Ready for More worked an easy half-mile early this week and will be ridden again by Mike Smith. If he runs two alike – Mitchell expects he will – Ready for More should be gone.

Lakerville, meanwhile, makes his long-delayed comeback Sunday for trainer Barry Abrams after winning four of his first six. But the Clocker’s Corner will be his first start since August 2012.

Abrams said Lakerville had “little things that put him out three, four months at a time. He’s been off 17 months, but he’s been training off and on for 14 months.”

A full brother to Grade 2 winner Gervinho, Lakerville is using Sunday’s race to prep for the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes on Feb. 22, after which Abrams will stretch him out.

“He’s going to be best going a mile, but he’s so exciting sprinting,” Abrams said. He said Lakerville is “80 percent fit.”

Corey Nakatani has been working Lakerville, and rides him for the first time Sunday.

Sweet Swap makes his first start since May for trainer John Sadler.

“After his last race, he was just stiff,” Sadler said.”I could see he needed some time off, so I turned him out, gave him 90 days, and he’s coming back. He’s trained really well.”

Sweet Swap, full brother to Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney’s Candy, will be stretched to two turns later in the meet. Rafael Bejarano rides Sweet Swap, who should get a good trip positioned just off the speed.