Versatile Sidney's Candy Heads Fourstardave

Photo: Eclipse Sportswire

Exiting a nose loss to Ryehill Dreamer in the Grade 2 American Handicap run on the turf at Hollywood Park on May 28, Sidney ’s Candy was sold privately to WinStar and transferred to Pletcher in early June. The 4-year-old has turned in six workouts in New York , most recently a bullet five-furlong move (57.60) over the Oklahoma turf course on Sunday morning.

“We were very happy with the way he worked on turf,” said Pletcher. “We were always looking at all of our options with him and we decided on Monday to send him to the Fourstardave.”

Originally under consideration for the August 6 Grade 1 Whitney Handicap, WinStar president and racing manager Elliott Walden said its 1 1/8-mile distance prompted consideration of other alternatives.

“The nice thing about him is you have so many options,” said Walden. “I think he’s a true miler. The surface doesn’t matter as much as the distance. We’re still figuring him out.”

Sidney’s Candy has won stakes ranging in distance from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, taking a pair of Grade 2 events at Santa Anita Park, the 2010 San Vincente (seven furlongs) and San Felipe (1 1/16 miles), as well as the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles. He next ran 17^th of 20 over a sloppy track in the 2010 Kentucky Derby, his first start on dirt. The Candy Ride colt’s initial start on grass came last August, when he romped by 5 ½ lengths in the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar.

“I think he’s a free-running horse from what we’ve seen in his races in California ,” said Pletcher. “My guess is that generally horses that show a lot of speed in California are pretty legitimate speed horses and speed seems to have to done pretty well at the meet so far on the turf course. We’ll see if the rain we had earlier this week changes that leading up to the race, but we’re not looking to be cute and change his style. We’ll let him run his race.”

John Velazquez has the call aboard Sidney ’s Candy, the 120-pound highweight and 4-5 morning-line favorite, from post position 5.

Pletcher will also saddle Anstu Stables’ Blues Street , a 7-year-old Street Cry gelding who will make his third start of 2011 in the Fourstardave. Winner of a turf optional claimer going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont on June 16, he was defeated by a nose in the Grade 3 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park on January 9.

Tabbed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line, Blues Street will leave from post 3 with Javier Castellano.

Trainer Barclay Tagg has entered Beau Choix, who collected a nose victory in the Rob ‘n Gin overnight stakes in his most recent outing on July 7 at Belmont . Also exiting that race is Voodoo Swinge, fifth, who was cross-entered in Sunday’s Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park . Beau Choix drew the rail under Ramon Dominguez at 10-1 on the morning line, while Voodoo Swinge, trained by Michael Matz for Green Hills Farm, drew post seven at 6-1 with Alan Garcia named to ride.

Completing the field are Turallure, winner of the Opening Verse stakes run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Churchill Downs on June 17, Paris Vegas who exits a runner-up finish in a 7 ½-furlong turf allowance at Delaware Park on June 1, and Moryba, fifth in the Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs on June 18 and also cross-entered in the Oceanport.

The field for the Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap: