Ollie's Candy digs in to win Clement Hirsch, adds to Sadler's haul
Ollie’s Candy set the pace Sunday, saw a challenge from Secret Spice, then battled back to score in the Grade 1, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.
The 4-year-old filly made it a Grade 1 sweep this weekend at Del Mar for trainer John Sadler, who also saddled champion Cistron in Saturday’s Bing Crosby. He’s already won five stakes races during the current meet.
Ollie’s Candy broke to the lead under jockey Kent Desormeaux, setting fractions of :23.05 and :46.68 through the first two panels of the 1 1/16-mile dirt showcase.
Around the far turn, Secret Spice and second betting choice Paradise Woods pulled into position to challenge Ollie’s Candy. Of those two, Secret Spice mounted a run on the outside and appeared to edge ahead in the early stretch.
It became a match race from there. Ollie’s Candy dug in on the inside of Secret Spice and won by a nose, crossing in 1:44.66 to seize a Breeders’ Cup Distaff “Win and You’re In” berth.
“I was sure Secret Spice was going right by her,” said Paul Eggert, who bred and campaigns the filly with wife Karen. “But (Ollie’s Candy) dug in and had to dig in again. She was able to do it.”
La Force came up to finish third behind the top two. Paradise Woods, a two-time Grade 1 winner, came home a disappointing fourth.
Ollie’s Candy’s name comes from both the Eggerts’ youngest daughter, Ollie, and the filly’s sire, Candy Ride.
The Sadler trainee has won half of her eight starts, with Sunday marking her first victory since the 2018 Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
Ollie’s Candy is the fourth female runner to win a Breeders’ Cup Distaff challenge race, joining Entropia (Gran Premio Criadores), Midnight Bisou (Ogden Phipps Stakes) and Elate (Fleur de Lis).
Four Distaff division “Win and You’re In” tickets remain to be claimed. Those will be decided Aug. 24 in Saratoga’s Personal Ensign (G1), Sept. 21 in Parx Racing’s Cotillion Stakes (G1), Sept. 29 in Santa Anita’s Zenyatta Stakes (G2) and Oct. 6 in Keeneland’s Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1).