Ready For More Seeks First Stakes Win

Ready for More will get the chance to prove he’s ready to move into the winner’s circle at the stakes level on Sunday at Santa Anita, when he faces a tough field of turf sprinters in the $75,000 Clocker’s Corner Handicap. The race is for four-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course. The six-year-old Ready for More goes into the race as the provisional morning line favorite at 3-1, despite the fact he has never won at the stakes level, and will be facing several with graded-stakes wins to their credit.

Other challengers have more stakes experience

Going in recent form, however, Ready for More gets the benefit of the doubt, as he comes into this after easily clearing the field to win just two weeks ago to win on the same downhill course in an AOC event. Getting the nod as co-second choice at 7-2 is El Commodore, who most recently finished second in the Grade III Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita, beaten just a half-length by the multiple graded-stakes placed Unbridled’s Note. Also at 7-2 is Street Swap, who had won back-to-back allowance races before being put on the shelf last May.

Graded-stakes winners in the Clocker's field

Of the others, Drill (8-1) is trying to find the form that led him to win three graded-stakes events back in 2012, including the Grade I Del Mar Futurity. Last year was a frustrating one for his connections, as he finished fourth in five different graded-stakes races. He’s already run once in 2014, finishing third in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes. Also in the field is Boat Trip (4-1), who followed up a disappointing twelfth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with a win in the Hollywood Turf Express Handicap.