Sidney's Candy: Can he go 10 furlongs?

Sidney's Candy scored an impressive win in the Santa Anita Derby (G-1) to remain undefeated in his three year old season.  The front running speedster has led all the way in three wins this year, The San Vicente (G-2), San Felipe (G-2) and Santa Anita Derby. He has defeated Robert B. Lewis (G-2) winner Caracacortado, Sham Stakes (G-3) victor, Alphie’s Bet  and the 2009 Juvenile champ Lookin At Lucky.

Let’s explore Sidney’s Candy (Candy Ride – Fair Exchange, by Storm Cat) pedigree to see how sweet the free-running colt’s chances look for getting the classic distance.

On the track, Sidney’s Candy’s sire Candy Ride was an example of brilliant speed and classic stamina. In his first start in Argentina, he broke his maiden by over twelve lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.31 and continued on to become that nation’s champion miler. Candy Ride arrived in the U.S. in 2004 and proved he could easily defeat turf runners in the American Handicap (G-2T) and returned to best a strong field in the ten furlong Pacific Classic (G-1) over dirt, beating Medaglia D’Oro and setting a new track record of 1:59.11.  Unfortunately, Candy Ride was injured after the Pacific Classic and retired before he could prove himself outside of California.  

Candy Ride is descended from the Fappiano strain of the Mr. Prospector sire line.  His sire Ride the Rails was second behind Holy Bull in the 1994 Florida Derby.  Sent to stud in Argentina, he became a strong sire of milers. Candy Ride’s damsire Candy Stripes stood in Argentina and was a son of Blushing Groom.  At stud, Candy Ride’s offspring are generally at their best up to nine furlongs, however his son Misremembered won the Santa Anita Handicap (G-1) at ten furlongs, so there is still hope that this young sire can get a classic winner. He is the leading third crop sire and has also produced last year’s Kentucky Derby hopeful Chocolate Candy and the brilliant sprinters Capt. Candyman Can and Evita Argentina.  With only three crops of racing age, Candy Ride has produced six graded stakes winners and ten stakes winners.  Sidney’s Candy is his first graded stakes winner produced from a Storm Cat mare; however his son Capt. Candyman Can is out of a mare by Storm Creek, a son of Storm Cat.

Speaking of Storm Cat, the retired legend is expanding his reputation as a broodmare sire. His daughters produced two winners of Kentucky Derby prep races this weekend, Sidney’s Candy and Illinois Derby winner American Lion.  Storm Cat is the broodmare sire of four winners at the Classic distance.

Sidney’s Candy’s dam Fair Exchange, a daughter of the international sire Storm Cat,  didn’t live up to her lofty breeding, placing only once in seven tries. Her dam Exchange was a very talented multiple Grade 1 winner winning or running in the money 24 of 28 attempts.  She counted the 1 ¼ mile Santa Anita Handicap (G-1) and 1 ½ mile Orchid Handicap (G-2) amongst her victories. Unfortunately, she died after foaling Fair Exchange.  Exchange was a daughter of the excellent sprint sire Explodent, but she obviously received her stamina from her sire Irish Stronghold, who placed in an eleven furlong stakes race.  Inbreeding to the great Hyperion didn’t hurt either.  Exchange’s dam Wolly Willow never won in nine attempts, but she is a half sister to Canadian Champion and sire Steady Growth and Knight’s Bridge, winner of the 1 ½ mile Breeders Stakes in Canada.  

Sidney’s Candy has the pedigree to do well in all three Triple Crown races, but he is one of several horses that will be on the lead or pressing the pace in the Kentucky Derby.  He will also be testing dirt for the first time in that race.  Although there is a slight chance the chestnut colt won’t like the surface, Capt. Candyman Can, who has similar breeding, handles dirt just fine and Sidney’s Candy’s distaff family is predominantly dirt based.  Like a few other Kentucky Derby contenders, Sidney’s Candy is maturing at the right time and appears to relax in his races despite his racing style, which will be crucial if he is to do well in the Triple Crown races.  If he’s not seriously pressured in the Kentucky Derby, he could be very difficult to catch when the real running begins.

For more, go to Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds.