Sidney’s Candy Is Spectacular In Turf Debut At Del Mar

Added on Aug 17, 2010 by Jack Thurman in

Horse Racing

For thoroughbred race horses, performing well on turf is supposed to be an ‘acquired skill’. Most horses prefer one surface over the others—dirt, turf or synthetic—and turn in their best performances on those favored track types. Kentucky Derby pace setter Sidney’s Candy apparently didn’t get that memo. In his first career turf race last Saturday at Del Mar, Sidney’s Candy set a turf course record as he obliterated the rest of the field in the 1 1/16 mile Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap.

Although Sidney’s Candy had a pedigree that suggested good turf potential, no one expected him to perform so well in his first start on grass. Sidney’s Candy is by Candy Ride—who won stakes races on both turf and dirt–and his dam, Fair Exchange, is by Storm Cat and is out of the mare Exchange, a top-class grass runner. Trainer John Sadler broke his horse’s lineage down in plain English:

“The Candy Rides run on anything. Dirt, turf, synthetic.”

The La Jolla Handicap became a de facto match race right out of the gate, as Sidney’s Candy and Mascias set a blistering pace that left the rest of the field a zip code behind. At the midway point a long shot of the field showed an astounding gap between the two front runners and the ‘also rans’—legendary Del Mar track announcer Trevor Denman said it was an eight length gap in his race call, but it looked more like 11 or 12 lengths. Jockey Joel Rosario went straight to the front along the inside rail with Mascias alongside, clocking a quarter-mile in :23.10 and a half-mile in :45.81.

When the pair hit the far turn, Rosario ‘pushed the button’ and as Mascias started to fade Sidney’s Candy pulled away. He opened a thirteen length advantage in the upper stretch and went on to win with ease. Kid Edward came in second with Alphie’s Bet in third. Sidney’s Candy was the 7-5 favorite in the race and paid 4.80, 3.40 and 3.00.

Jockey Rosario said that when his mount took off he followed orders and just went along for the ride:

“John [Sadler] doesn’t want me to fight him. We’ve got to let him do what he does. He broke so sharp and he just wanted to go. So I let him go.”

“I knew we were going fast, but he’s such a good horse he can do that. When we turned for home, I opened up with him. I didn’t want to be caught. He just kept on going and he wasn’t that tired at the end. He’s a really nice horse.”

Sadler has already ruled Sidney’s Candy out of the Del Mar Derby on September 5^th, which makes the Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park on September 25 and/or the Oak Tree Mile in October the most likely next starts. Beyond that, he could end up running in the Breeder’s Cup Mile which is contested on grass.

Here’s the video of Sidney’s Candy winning the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar: