Ready for Rye wins Quick Call at Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) Ready for Rye set a scorching early pace and closed with a flourish for a 1 1/2-length victory Thursday in the $100,000 Quick Call at Saratoga Race Course.

Jockey Javier Castellano kept the normally front-running Ready for Rye in a stalking spot as Beantown Saint led a field of 10 grass sprinters through a quarter-mile in 20.87 seconds and a half in 43.76.

Favored at 9-5, Ready for Rye collared the leaders and went on to win in 1:01.47 for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf course, returning $5.40, $3.30 and $2.80 for his second straight victory on grass.

The Great War paid $5.20 and $4.30, and Disco Partner returned $7.90 to show.

In the co-feature, long-shot Choral Society took the lead over the final jump and finished strong to hold off Martini Brother and 1-2 favorite Demonstrative in the Grade 1 $125,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial steeplechase.

It was the first stakes win for Petticoats Loose Farm's 6-year-old gelding, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Paddy Young. He ran 2 1/16 miles in 3:51.77 and returned $34.40, $13.80 and $4.20.

Martini Brother paid $11.80 and $4.10, and defending Eclipse Award-winning steeplechaser Demonstrative returned $2.10 to show.