Ollie's Candy fires bullet at Keeneland ahead of second BC Distaff try

Paul and Karen Eggert’s Ollie’s Candy, runner-up in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) in her most recent start, began serious preparations for a repeat run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff by working a bullet 5 furlongs in :59 over a muddy track Saturday morning at Keeneland.

As the first worker over a freshly harrowed track at 7:30 a.m., Ollie Candy’s posted fractions of :23, :47.40, :59 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:12.60. Juan Levya, assistant to trainer John Sadler, was aboard.

“She got over the track really well and galloped out well,” Leyva said of Ollie’s Candy, who finished fourth in the Distaff last year.

Ollie’s Candy is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect to Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale as part of the premier Book 1, which opens the auction on Nov. 9. She is Hip 83.

In other Breeders’ Cup action on Saturday:

Leyva said two other Sadler Breeders’ Cup hopefuls – Higher Power (Classic) and Chaos Theory (Turf Sprint) – are scheduled to work Sunday. A fourth Sadler runner, Flagstaff, is expected to ship in for the World Championships here Nov. 6-7 for a run in the $1 million Sprint.

After the second morning renovation break, Kaleem Shah, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Bellafina (Filly and Mare Sprint) worked 5 furlongs on her own in 1:00.60 with Nick Bush aboard.

Second in the Filly and Mare Sprint to champion Covfefe last year, Bellafina posted fractions of :11.40, :23, :35.40, 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20.

Trainer Simon Callaghan is expected to have two other Breeders’ Cup runners in Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor’s Harvest Moon (Distaff) and Kaleem Shah’s Madone (Juvenile Fillies Turf). Both are expected to arrive at Keeneland on Monday.

Also working toward a possible Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile start was Calumet Farm’s True Timber, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Jack Sisterson.