Aqueduct: Ready for Candy seeks 2nd graded win in Sands Point

Ready for Candy was a last-out winner of the Grade 3 Winter Memories on September 20 at Belmont at the Big A, and will look for a graded double when she takes on Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point, a 1 1/8-mile inner turf route for sophomore fillies.

Trained by Philip Antonacci for Lindy Farms, the daughter of Twirling Candy utilized a stalking trip in the one-mile Winter Memories, where she tracked 2 1/2 lengths off the pace under Ricardo Santana, Jr. before pouncing to a 1 1/2-length lead at the stretch call with a three-wide bid. Returning rival Paradise City gained with every stride while chasing down the lane, but Ready for Candy dug in gamely to prevail by a nose in a final time of 1:35.29.

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The win marked the first graded victory for Antonacci, a graduate of Godolphin’s Flying Start program.

“It was obviously a very exciting race and it was important she got her nose down,” Antonacci said. “She fought hard and was tough. It was a good result, and I’m glad it went our way. It was special to win that in New York with it being our home circuit. Hopefully, we can just keep adding to the tally now.”

Ready for Candy is a perfect in two starts since being purchased for $400,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale and moved to the Antonacci barn. Previously, she placed in three Woodbine stakes from seven outings as a maiden last year for trainer Mike DePaulo. In her first start for Antonacci, she graduated by 7 3/4 lengths when wiring a nine-furlong maiden on Aug. 17 at Saratoga.

“I think she’s very comfortable at a mile, mile and an eighth. I think this is right in her wheelhouse, so we’re excited about that,” Antonacci said. “She’s adaptable, which makes her pretty dangerous. Ricardo – like he did last time – can read the pace and drop in and make one run, or he can go to the lead. Just keep her happy and keep the pace honest.

“She’s really come into herself, filling in and looking like an older mare now,” he added. “She’s got a lot of energy and she’s feeling good.”

Bred in Ontario by Mark Dodson, Ready for Candy is out of the stakes-placed More Than Ready mare Enoree, a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Grand Bili and dual stakes-placed Conquest City Girl. 

Santana, Jr. has the call from post 5.

C Two Racing Stable, Shining Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Kuehne Racing’s Paradise City, who starts from post 7 with Manny Franco, will try to turn the tables on Ready for Candy after her near-miss in the Winter Memories.

The McKinzie bay made her turf debut last out, and endured a bobbled beginning before tracking in third and making her strong late run for second, matching the career-high 83 Beyer she received from Daily Racing Form for a deep-closing fourth in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks in her start prior.

Dual stakes-placed on dirt, Paradise City’s latest win was a six-length trouncing of a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in January at Gulfstream Park, one of five on-the-board efforts from seven starts at five different tracks this year. She was a $105,000 purchase at the OBS June 2-year-olds in training sale is out of the Grade 2-winning Yankee Gentleman mare Washington Bridge.

Trainer Chad Brown has entered the pair of the undefeated Pretty Picture, who starts from post 6 under Dylan Davis) and stakes-placed Griselda, who breaks from post 4 with Flavien Prat. The five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner is in search of a record-extending seventh win in this event after scoring with Ball Dancing (2014), Uni (2017), New and Improved, Tamahere, Fluffy Socks (2019-21) and Spaliday (2024).

Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Pretty Picture has won twice in two starts against elders after a 1 1/16-mile debut graduation on Aug. 3 over firm Monmouth Park turf and a last-out allowance victory in an off-the-turf mile on September 6 at the Jersey Shore oval. The latter effort was a half-length score when rating just off the pace under Samy Camacho and prevailing over Blame the Banker. She earned an 82 Beyer for the victory.

The Munnings filly is out of the unraced Tiznow mare Farofa, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Princesa Carolina, the dam of Grade 2-winner Muhimma. Her second dam is dual-surface multiple graded stakes-winner Pure Clan.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso’s Griselda enters from a fourth in the Winter Memories where she tracked in fifth and made an even run down the lane to land 2 1/2 lengths back of the top duo. That effort was her second since she was purchased for $211,348 from the Arqana December breeding stock sale and transferred to Brown for a winning stateside debut in a one-mile optional claimer on August 6 at the Spa.

The daughter of City Light began her career in her native France with conditioners Carlos and Yann Lerner. She graduated in allowance company last May at Saint-Cloud and finished a 1 3/4-length second in the Prix Herod there in November in her final start before the sale. 

The Sands Point is slated as race 7 as a supporting event to the lucrative fall starter championships program featuring 10 races offering a combined $970,000 in purse money. First post on the 11-race card is 12:10 p.m. EDT.