Candy My Boy On Course for Louisiana Derby

Frank Mancari’s Candy My Boy, who set a swift pace in the Grade II $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 20 en route to finishing a valiant 2¼-length-beaten fourth, has exited his effort well and returned to the work tab on Friday for trainer Roger Brueggemann. The son of Candy Ride worked an easy half-mile in 50.60, good for 45th of 62 moves at the distance.

 

“He went really good,” Brueggemann said. “I didn’t want to go fast with him. I just wanted to go easy. (Jockey Francisco) Torres worked him and tried to get him to relax and rate him. That’s the plan with him. If he’s sound and everything is healthy, we’ll go on to the (Grade II $1,000,000) Louisiana Derby (on Mar. 26).”

 

 

 

Trainer Dallas Stewart has long been high on Charles Fipke’s homebred Northwest Tale. A daughter of Fipke’s beloved Grade I-winning stallion Tale of Ekati, the bay filly is a granddaughter of the great Kentucky Derby-winning filly Winning Colors (through winning Broad Brush-sired dam Northwest Colors) who Stewart used to gallop while an assistant trainer to D. Wayne Lukas.

 

Fourth on debut in September going 5½ furlongs at Churchill Downs, the compact bay filly returned in mid-November over six-furlongs on the Louisville track to be an impressive victor by 2¼ lengths. A month later, in her two-turn debut, she ran into the very talented Lovable Lyss going a mile and 70 yards and finished an even third, beaten five lengths. Stewart then gave her a redemption chance at the identical trip in the Listed $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 16 and she ran an empty fifth, beaten 11¼ lengths. Undeterred, Stewart wheeled the game filly back in a six-furlong first-level allowance on Feb. 8 and she blew by heavily favored and well-regarded Sapphire Seas in the final furlong to win by a pair of widening lengths under Brian Hernandez, Jr.

 

On Friday, Northwest Tale worked an easy half-mile in 50 flat for Stewart and a return to stakes company is imminent.

 

“She’s a tough horse,” Stewart said. “She went in 50 flat and did it easily. We worked her a little later in the morning when the track was deeper. We’re looking at an allowance or stakes race next and would love to have her in races like the (Grade II $200,000) Eight Belles (Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 6) and the (Grade I $700,000) Acorn (Stakes at Belmont Park on Jun. 11). It seems (one turn races) is where her punch is.

 

“I still think she’ll run two turns,” Stewart continued. “We might just have to work our way to that and she might just need more time to stretch out. We’ll ease her into it. We have a lot of options.”

 

 

 

In his first time wintering at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Louisiana native Roger Brueggemann has made the most of his initial opportunity. The veteran conditioner is currently batting 29% with his 12 victories from 41 starts and has hit the board 59% of the time. One of the more promising younger horses in his shedrow is Midwest Thoroughbreds’ modestly bred Doggerwinii, who was a smart winner of a first-level allowance on Friday at the New Orleans oval.

 

Stepping up from a victory against maiden claiming company, the homebred daughter of allowance winner Maltese Dog ran away from her competition at 4-1 odds, winning by 5½ lengths under Francisco Torres.

 

“I have always liked her,” Brueggemann said. “We had her dad and he was a nice horse. That’s one of his first offspring and I’m glad to see that she can run. He had trouble all his life and he could have accomplished a lot more. I think she’ll be okay and we will have some fun with her.

 

“We’re kind of out of conditions with her,” Brueggemann continued. “I wouldn’t mind trying her on the grass somewhere in the right kind of race. Her dad was by (Breeders’ Cup Mile winner) War Chant and he was a good turf horse.”

 

 

 

LNJ Foxwoods’ Cced, a talented daughter of Curlin who wowed on graduation last month, worked a useful four furlongs on Sunday morning in 51 flat for trainer Steve Asmussen. The flashy chestnut is expected to contest a two-turn allowance/optional claiming event at Oaklawn Park next weekend in what her connections hope will be a step toward the Grade I $1,000,000 Kentucky Oaks.

 

Charles Fipke’s homebred sophomore Forever d’Oro may not have raced yet, but expectations are palpably high for the handsome son of Medaglia d’Oro and Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever. The half-brother to Unbridled Forever and Forever Unbridled worked five furlongs in 1:02.80 from the gate on Sunday. According to trainer Dallas Stewart – who conditioned his aforementioned half-sisters and dam – the athletic bay colt should be ready for a race by early in the Keeneland meet.