Lael Stable’s homebred Ready to Venture looked right at home in winning the Grade 3, US$111,966 Seaway Stakes on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine.
It was a familiar result for the 5-year-old, Great Britain-bred daughter of Kingman who is 2-for-2 at Woodbine after a stellar showing in the seven-furlong Tapeta race for fillies and mares 3 and up. In May 2022, Ready To Venture romped to a 5 3/4-length score in a 6 1/2-furlong race over the Tapeta.
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Hai Bobbi, supplemented to the Seaway, emerged with the lead and was shadowed by Vantarsi, 3-1 choice Ticker Tape Home and Il Malocchio through an opening quarter-mile in 23.11 seconds. Rafael Hernandez, aboard Michael Stidham-trained Ready To Venture, settled the bay mare into fifth along the rail.
A head in front through a half-mile in 45.48 seconds, Hai Bobbi remained under pressure by Vantarsi while Ready To Venture had moved into fourth position as the field of nine picked up the pace heading into the turn for home.
Hernandez had Ready To Venture rolling in early stretch and soon struck the front but was then tasked with fending off Millie Girl, who was coming with her best run along the rail.
On top by a head at Robert Geller’s stretch call, Ready To Venture reached the wire a 1 1/4-length winner. Millie Girl was second, followed by Il Malocchio, Ticker Tape Home. Vantarsi, Hazelbrook, Talk to Ya Later, Hai Bobbi and Purrfect.
The winning time was 1:21.60.
It was another satisfying result for Lael Stable, who one day earlier won with She Feels Pretty in the Natalma Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies and earned a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.
Hernandez said winning was not so easy from the rail post.
“It’s not a great place to be,” Hernandez said, “but when everything goes good, we ended up in the winner’s circle. It doesn’t matter how you start, it matters how you finish. At the three-eighths, I said, ‘Man, I have horse.’ I know my horse was running down the lane, and I said whoever is coming is going to have to have run fast to get us.”
Ready To Venture ran her record to 20: 6-4-3. Her first eight starts came in England, where she broke her maiden in her second start, on Sept. 16, 2020, at Great Yarmouth. She started the North America chapter of her career in March 2022 with a third at Fair Grounds.
Ready To Venture paid $16.30 for the Seaway win.
