Regally Ready burst through on the inside and ran away with the $909,000 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IIT) by 1 ½ lengths over Country Day at Churchill Downs Nov. 5.
The winner went off the heavy 2-1 favorite and paid $6.60 to win (VIDEO) for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Regally Ready races for Vinery Stables, whose breeding wing, Grapestock, bred the winner in Kentucky. Regally Ready is by the Vinery stallion More Than Ready and out of the King of Kings mare Kivi.
He was coming off a neck victory in the Oct. 16 Nearctic Stakes (gr. IT) at Woodbine. On Kentucky Derby Day last May, Regally Ready scored in the Turf Sprint (gr. IIIT) over the same distance on the Churchill Downs strip. He has won nine of his 17 lifetime starts and has now earned $1,210,684.
Jockey Corey Nakatani on the winner called it the easiest possible win and said “the race was over on the turn. The Nearctic set him up perfectly for this race. He was composed and focused."
Regally Ready was always attentive to the pace in the Turf Sprint, tracking Great Attack and Rapport through an opening quarter-mile in :22.45. He grabed the advantage before the reaching the half-mile point in :44.81. Flying up the rail in the stretch, the flashy chestnut was never seriously threatened. He stopped the clock in :56.48.
Said Asmussen, "That was absolutely awesome."
Perfect Officer, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, finished third, a half-length behind runner-up Country Day and James Graham.
Regally Ready returned $6.60, $4.60, and $4. Country Day paid $24 and $14.20, while Perfect Officer was worth $6 to show.
Chamberlain Bridge, last year's Turf Sprint winner, was eighth after a wide trip.
