In her first start in more than seven months, Red Carpet Ready lived up to her name in the $129,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) March 9 at Gulfstream Park.
After moving from fourth to third in the turn under Luis Saez while Olivia Darling and Spirit Wind contested the lead, Red Carpet Ready unleashed a quick burst near the top of the stretch to take command three wide and then held sway over Olivia Darling to post a half-length victory. Olivia Darling held second, a neck ahead of Spirit Wind in third.
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In completing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.09 on a fast track, Red Carpet Ready earned the third graded stakes win of her career. The effort also marked a return to form for the daughter of Oscar Performance who had not raced since the lone off-the-board performance of her career, a seventh-place finish in the Victory Ride Stakes (G3) July 8 at Belmont Park.
ROLLINS: Red Carpet Ready Returns to the Stage After Layoff
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Saturday’s score follows 2023 victories in the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream and the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, for Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing’s Red Carpet Ready, who was bred in Kentucky by Lynn Schiff and is trained by Rusty Arnold. Before the race, Upland Flats Racing’s Patrick Lewis told BloodHorse that a grade 1 would be next, either the Madison Stakes (G1) April 6 at Keeneland, the Derby City Distaff (G1) May 4 at Churchill Downs, or both.
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