SANTA ANITA : Ready To Order Gets the Check

Jude Feld was sunning on the beach at Del Mar in 1989 when he got a message from one of his clients.

“There’s a broodmare prospect that we ought to claim today,” said the advisory from Robert B. Moreno, an insurance executive from Bakersfield.

Feld went over to the track and claimed Banquet Dancer for $10,000.

Banquet Dancer, an unsound mare, raced sparingly for his new connections, but she has finally paid off. One of her offspring, the 2-year-old colt Ready To Order, won Thursday’s $100,000 California Breeders’ Champion at Santa Anita, giving Feld his first stakes victory in about two years.

“I gave up my tan that day at the beach,” Feld said after the race. “I’m glad I did.”

With a big edge in weights, Ready To Order won by a head, finally beating Cavonnier, who was the 4-5 favorite. In his previous two starts, Ready To Order was second to Cavonnier, by 2 3/4 lengths in the California Cup Juvenile and by two lengths in the California Stallion Stakes.

According to the allowance conditions of the race, Ready To Order, ridden by Goncalino Almeida, was able to run with 114 pounds Thursday, while Cavonnier, ridden by Chris McCarron, carried 122. In the Cal Cup Juvenile, they carried 118 pounds apiece.

“There was no question that the weight helped,” Feld said. “An eight-pound difference and an eight-pound shift too. I was very confident.”

Ready To Order and Pat’m Well drew the inside post positions, and Almeida told Feld before the race that his plan was to follow the horse outside him in the early going. That’s what he did, in third place.

Pat’m Well faded, finishing last in a 10-horse field. Cavonnier took the lead at the top of the stretch. Although Ready To Order was running on the wrong part of the track, the inside, he outbattled Cavonnier at the wire.

Ready To Order ran seven furlongs in 1:22 4/5, paying $19 and earning $66,600. Before Thursday, Ready To Order had won only one of eight starts and was on a six-race losing streak. His first victory came against maidens at Hollywood Park on May 29.

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Exotic Wood, undefeated and unchallenged in four starts, will be a heavy favorite for the fifth time Saturday in the $125,000 La Brea Stakes.

Six other 3-year-old fillies are entered for the seven-furlong race, including Jewel Princess, who was a nine-length winner of the Linda Vista Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Embroidered, Ski Dancer, Our Summer Bid, Lady Sorolla and Evil’s Pic round out the field.

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Ron Ellis, who trains Exotic Wood, will saddle another filly, Twice The Vice, in Monday’s $70,000 Run for the Roses Handicap.

Gary Stevens, who has the riding assignment, will be making a quick return from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Dec. 18. Unofficially, Stevens and Corey Nakatani are tied for the national lead in stakes wins with 52 apiece.

Stevens has a reputation for healing quickly.

“He’s a tough guy,” said his agent, Ron Anderson. “His knee was hurting a lot a year ago, and he probably should have had the surgery then.”

Laffit Pincay, another jockey who will be back in action soon, turns 49 today. Pincay suffered three broken ribs in a spill at Hollywood Park on Dec. 17.