Sidney's Candy scored an impressive win in the
Santa Anita Derby (G-1) to remain undefeated in his three year old
season. The front running speedster has led all the way in three wins
this year, The San Vicente (G-2), San Felipe (G-2) and Santa Anita
Derby. He has defeated Robert B. Lewis (G-2) winner
Caracacortado,
Sham Stakes (G-3) victor,
Alphie’s Bet
and the 2009 Juvenile champ
Lookin At
Lucky.
Let’s explore Sidney’s Candy (Candy Ride – Fair
Exchange, by Storm Cat) pedigree to see how sweet the free-running
colt’s chances look for getting the classic distance.
On the
track, Sidney’s Candy’s sire
Candy Ride
was an example of brilliant speed and classic stamina. In his first
start in Argentina, he broke his maiden by over twelve lengths, running
six furlongs in 1:09.31 and continued on to become that nation’s
champion miler. Candy Ride arrived in the U.S. in 2004 and proved he
could easily defeat turf runners in the American Handicap (G-2T) and
returned to best a strong field in the ten furlong Pacific Classic (G-1)
over dirt, beating
Medaglia
D’Oro and setting a new track record of 1:59.11. Unfortunately,
Candy Ride was injured after the Pacific Classic and retired before he
could prove himself outside of California.
Candy Ride is
descended from the Fappiano strain of the Mr. Prospector sire line. His
sire Ride the Rails was second behind Holy Bull in the 1994 Florida
Derby. Sent to stud in Argentina, he became a strong sire of milers.
Candy Ride’s damsire Candy Stripes stood in Argentina and was a son of
Blushing Groom. At stud, Candy Ride’s offspring are generally at their
best up to nine furlongs, however his son Misremembered won the Santa
Anita Handicap (G-1) at ten furlongs, so there is still hope that this
young sire can get a classic winner. He is the leading third crop sire
and has also produced last year’s Kentucky Derby hopeful Chocolate Candy
and the brilliant sprinters Capt. Candyman Can and Evita Argentina.
With only three crops of racing age, Candy Ride has produced six graded
stakes winners and ten stakes winners. Sidney’s Candy is his first
graded stakes winner produced from a Storm Cat mare; however his son
Capt. Candyman Can is out of a mare by Storm Creek, a son of Storm Cat.
Speaking
of
Storm Cat,
the retired legend is expanding his reputation as a broodmare sire. His
daughters produced two winners of Kentucky Derby prep races this
weekend, Sidney’s Candy and Illinois Derby winner American Lion. Storm
Cat is the broodmare sire of four winners at the Classic distance.
Sidney’s
Candy’s dam
Fair
Exchange, a daughter of the international sire Storm Cat, didn’t
live up to her lofty breeding, placing only once in seven tries. Her dam
Exchange
was a very talented multiple Grade 1 winner winning or running in the
money 24 of 28 attempts. She counted the 1 ¼ mile Santa Anita Handicap
(G-1) and 1 ½ mile Orchid Handicap (G-2) amongst her victories.
Unfortunately, she died after foaling Fair Exchange. Exchange was a
daughter of the excellent sprint sire Explodent, but she obviously
received her stamina from her sire Irish Stronghold, who placed in an
eleven furlong stakes race. Inbreeding to the great Hyperion didn’t
hurt either. Exchange’s dam Wolly Willow never won in nine attempts,
but she is a half sister to Canadian Champion and sire Steady Growth and
Knight’s Bridge, winner of the 1 ½ mile Breeders Stakes in Canada.
Sidney’s
Candy has the pedigree to do well in all three Triple Crown races, but
he is one of several horses that will be on the lead or pressing the
pace in the Kentucky Derby. He will also be testing dirt for the first
time in that race. Although there is a slight chance the chestnut colt
won’t like the surface, Capt. Candyman Can, who has similar breeding,
handles dirt just fine and Sidney’s Candy’s distaff family is
predominantly dirt based. Like a few other
Kentucky
Derby contenders, Sidney’s Candy is maturing at the right time and
appears to relax in his races despite his racing style, which will be
crucial if he is to do well in the Triple Crown races. If he’s not
seriously pressured in the Kentucky Derby, he could be very difficult to
catch when the real running begins.
For more, go to
Iron
Maidens Thoroughbreds.