Sidney’s Candy on Sunday turned in his first official workout since being
acquired by WinStar Farm and transferred to the barn of Todd Pletcher, breezing
four furlongs over Belmont’s main track in 49.73.
Previously trained in Southern
California by John Sadler for the Craig Family Trust, the Grade 1-winning son
of Candy Ride is being considered for the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga
Race Course on August 6.
“It was our first work with him, and
it seemed to go well,” said Pletcher. “We’ll talk to Elliott [Walden,
president/CEO and racing manager for WinStar] about a game plan. One thing we
had mentioned as a possibility is the Whitney, but we have a ways to go.”
Sidney’s Candy is a graded stakes
winner on dirt, turf, and synthetic, with his biggest victory having come in
the 2010 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby over Santa Anita’s former artificial
surface. He has made two starts at Hollywood Park in 2011, finishing second in
both the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap over the all-weather on May 7 and the
Grade 2 American Handicap on turf on May 28.
“He’s successful on three different
surfaces, so we have a lot of options,” said Pletcher. “He has a lot of speed
and can carry it a distance. There are a lot of possibilities.”
Pletcher revealed that Buster’s
Ready, second in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico on May 20, will
make her next start at Belmont on Saturday in the Grade 1 Mother Goose. Owned
by the Estate of Edward P. Evans, the daughter of More Than Ready breezed four
furlongs in 51.97 Sunday morning.
“It was a little bit slow, but she
did it relaxed and on her own, and she’s very fit,” said Pletcher. “It was a good
performance last time in the Black-Eyed Susan, and I hope she continues that
trend of improvement.”
Pletcher added that Awesome Maria,
Super Espresso, and Life At Ten were all doing well after
respectively finishing first, third, and fourth in yesterday’s Grade 1 Ogden
Phipps Handicap.