SARATOGA SPRINGS – The toughest, gamest little horse in the world finally got his just reward yesterday when More Than Ready came from last of six with a wide rally under Pat Day to win the Grade 1, $200,000 King’s Bishop at seven furlongs.
“Finally, he got his Grade 1,” said the colt’s thrilled-to-death owner Jim Scatuorchio. “He deserves it after all he did this year.”
Last summer as a 2-year-old, More Than Ready was a sensation at the Old Spa, winning the six-furlong Sanford by 93/4 lengths in 1:09.3. But since then the gutsy son of Southern Halo had won just a single race, the seven-furlong Hutcheson in a dead-heat last January.
All spring and summer More Than Ready, who’s unbeaten sprinting, took on the best 3-year-olds in distance races and laid his body down every time, running second in the Louisiana Derby and Blue Grass, fourth in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Dwyer and fourth in the Haskell.
“We always knew this (returning to sprinting) was plan B,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “If ever there was a horse deserving of a Grade 1 win, it’s him.”
More Than Ready ran the seven panels in 1:22.2 to pay $4.60 as the favorite, keying a $58 exacta as longshot Valiant Halory closed for second with Millencolin third.
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The ice that flows through jockey Jerry Bailey’s veins was never more evident than yesterday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fourstardave Handicap.
Riding 6-5 favorite Hap, Bailey stayed on the hedge all the way around in the mile and a sixteenth run around the Mellon turf course. Turning for home he was all dressed up with nowhere to go.
But J.D. sat chilly until a narrow hole opened, then shot Hap through inside his 10 opponents. The 4-year-old son of grass champ Theatrical, trained by Bill Mott, exploded to win by three-quarters of a length over fast-closing Altibr, with Weatherbird third.
“Coming around the turn, I was wondering where I was going to go,” Bailey said. “In those situations you just have to sit and hope for the best, hope a passage becomes open. The horse was quick enough to get there. He made me look really good.”
Hap, who Mott said will be pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, paid $4.60 keying a $72.50 exacta with a final time of 1:40.1.
