#TBT More Than Enough
More Than Ready's 1999 Sanford Stakes
This is a previously unpublished piece I wrote after witnessing Saratoga’s Thursday, July 29, 1999 Sanford Stakes (Gr. 2). Wish I’d done lots more journaling during those living-in-Saratoga-Springs years. That era, though, felt plenty busy with working at the National Museum of Racing and researching/drafting my Man o’ War book.
Revisiting these notes and photos now, what a sweet blast from a heyday of The Spaaa.
Thursday, July 29, 1999: More Than Enough
Standing paddock-side, waiting for the Sanford Stakes field of five to appear. Inside, sharp-dressed D. Wayne Lukas scans the horizon for a white-bridled colt walking over from “Oklahoma.”
Bulling is a chestnut, my eye has noted from the program; others are brown or bay. For some reason, I’d thought Lukas’ Dance Master is a bay—and so am misled when a husky chestnut wheels near the saddling shed, displaying haunches extra-thickened like Schwarzenegger’s arms. Bulling? But no—a much slighter chestnut walking by me now with a “1” tag swinging from his handler’s hand, that’s the son of Holy Bull. The chestnut with sprinter’s haunches—that’s Dance Master.
Completing the path from Oklahoma, a bay head and neck floats into view, escorted by men in suits. That’s Todd Pletcher, striding beside. The floating head and neck belong to More Than Ready. And—what’s this? Watching this small, neat colt glide into the ring, my stomach jumps with adrenaline.
Something special? says a nearly subconscious voice. And the thought springs from More Than Ready’s entire bearing. Immediately, from his glance and his walk, you see that this two-year-old colt has unusual presence of mind. Kelso, I think, must have looked like this. More Than Ready is not bulgy-muscled precocious or extravagantly colored. He is medium everything and exquisitely balanced. Despite his calm, he shows a flash of—is it dominance?—leaning his head back to neigh when another colt walks close by. But the overriding image, physical and mental, is poise.
On the other hand, as soon as his girth tightens, Dance Master is literally on his toes. Let’s go! Let’s go! Will he last six furlongs, this eager for the jump?
I’m watching now from another rail, mere yards behind the finish line, as the colts and escort ponies walk toward the grandstand, then curve back toward the clubhouse turn. Bulling comes past at a knee-waving trot, now Mighty, now the small field is clumping into overlapping warm-up canters. And up through the middle slides More Than Ready, nonchalantly leaving his pony behind.
The race itself you can see on next week’s replay shows. Dance Master fastest from the gate, taking command with a flash that even your naked eye can catch from the other side of the track. Tom Durkin’s call places More Than Ready in second place, not out of touch, but as they speed into the far turn and out of railside [sic] sight Dance Master opens daylight again. At the head of the lane there’s only Durkin’s voice sharply rising, “And More Than Ready is making another run!”
Crowd noise swallows the next furlong and a half. You wait, watching the spot less than 100 yards from the wire where 37-mph horses will shoot back into view. A duel? Or—it’s a neat bay colt all by himself, jockey barely moving—and behind them a gap, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven empty lengths or more.
When you look for More Than Ready in the future, remember the uncanny poise. And listen to the adrenaline.
Coda
More Than Ready (1997-2022) made a grand impression beyond the racetrack, siring 13 champions worldwide. In memoriam, WinStar Farm president and CEO Elliott Walden told The BloodHorse, “He may not have been the biggest horse in the barn, but he more than made up for it in class, balance, and character.”