Big A: Ready for Candy tastes sweetest in Winter Memories

Ready for Candy took over in the upper stretch and dug in gamely to turn back the challenge of Paradise City and notch her first graded victory. She did it in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Winter Memories Stakes, a one-mile, inner-turf route for 3-year-old fillies at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet.

The win marked the first stakes victory for trainer Philip Antonacci, a graduate of Godolphin’s Flying Start program who worked for trainers Wesley Ward and Gai Waterhouse before going on his own in 2020.

Click here for Belmont at Aqueduct entries and results.

Owned by Lindy Farms, the Twirling Candy dark bay placed in three Woodbine stakes from seven outings as a maiden last year for trainer Mike DePaulo. She joined the Antonacci barn after being bought for $400,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale. She made her first start for her new conditioner a winning one when wiring a 1 1/8-mile turf maiden by 7 3/4 lengths last out Aug. 17 at Saratoga.

"She’s tough. She’s game,” Antonacci said. “You’ve got to let her do what she wants to do and don’t fight her, but she’ll put her heart out there for you. It’s nice to see.”

Ridden to victory by Ricardo Santana Jr., Ready for Candy emerged a step slow from post 2 and settled in a stalking position as sharp-starting Paradise City was overtaken by a hard-sent Scarlet Sands under the wire for the first time. May Day Ready, a last-out, front-running winner of the Lake Placid (G2), was keen early and rushed up to track the pacesetter while going wide in the first turn. The opening quarter-mile went in 23.45 seconds over the firm footing.

“You can handicap all you want before the race, but when those gates open, anything can happen,” Antonacci said. “Us and May Day Ready both broke a little slow, and you had outside speed going. May Day Ready kind of took off, and I think Ricardo was patient with her, and luckily it set up well.”

Scarlet Sands was alone on the lead up the backstretch with Ready for Candy in fourth behind May Day Ready and Paradise City as the half-mile elapsed in 47.82 seconds. Hard-held May Day Ready was allowed to inch closer approaching the turn under Frankie Dettori, and Santana followed suit three wide to loom large through three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.15.

Paradise City was trapped inside with nowhere to go at the head of the lane with Scarlet Sands swarmed by May Day Ready and Ready for Candy. Manny Franco angled Paradise City around the top trio to unleash her bid. Ready for Candy emerged as the new leader and still was clear through seven-eighths of a mile in 1:23.68. Although her margin dwindled with each stride, she dug in gamely to stave off Paradise City by a nose with a final time of 1:35.29.

Decadent rallied to finish third, two lengths behind the top pair with Griselda completing the superfecta. Sea To Sky, Scarlet Sands, May Day Ready and Ruth, who trailed throughout, completed the order of finish. Opulent Restraint, Trail of Gold and main track-only entrant Kay Cup were scratched.

Santana said a slower beginning wound up benefitting Ready for Candy.

“I thought she was going to break a little bit sharper. I thought that would help her. She didn’t break, but then she put me in a good spot,” Santana said. “Then (May Day Ready) didn’t break, and they run off, so I had a perfect spot to be. Today she gave me everything she had.

Franco said Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Paradise City delivered a winning performance in defeat.

“I had a good trip. I did what the trainer told me. Cover the filly up, and see what happens,” Franco said. “She ran good. The bob, they got it, so just a little bit unlucky there with the bob, but she ran good."

Antonacci said the Sands Point (G2) on Oct. 18 at Saratoga could be the next target for Ready for Candy.

“I think all options are open,” he said. “We’ll let her come back to us, see how she recovers and make a plan from there, but that’s a logical spot.”

Bred in Ontario by Mark Dodson, Ready for Candy’s previous graded attempts included a troubled, 1 1/4-length third over Tapeta in the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine (G3) at Woodbine. She banked $96,250 for her Winter Memories victory while improving her record to 9: 2-3-2 and returning $7.36 on a $2 win wager.