Sugar Shock on the Comeback Trail
Trainer Doug Anderson said three races are under consideration for multiple stakes winner Sugar Shock’s scheduled comeback early next year, including the $100,000 Pippin Stakes Jan. 17 at Oaklawn and the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 24 at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.
Sugar Shock recorded her biggest career victory in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies last April at Oaklawn, but hasn’t started since failing to finish as the 5-2 third choice in the $200,000 Iowa Oaks (G3) June 28 at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.
Anderson said Sugar Shock didn’t handle the mud in the Iowa Oaks and regular rider Channing Hill decided to pull her up at the top of the stretch, adding there was nothing physically wrong with the Kentucky-bred daughter of Candy Ride.
“Just a lot of mud that day and she said, ‘No,’ ” Anderson said. “We just turned her out and let her grow up. She had a pretty hard spring campaign.” Sugar Shock was turned out at Rose Hill Farm in Lexington, Ky., where she was broken, and rejoined his stable in late September. She has been breezing for a little more than a month, Anderson said.
After two published three-furlong works in November at Churchill Downs, Sugar Shock breezed five furlongs in 1:02 Dec. 21 at Oaklawn. In addition to the Pippin and Houston Ladies Classic, Anderson said Sugar Shock could launch her 2015 campaign in Oaklawn’s $100,000 American Beauty Stakes Jan. 24.
The Pippin and Houston Ladies Classic are both 1 1/16 miles. The American Beauty is six furlongs.
Anderson said the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 10 is a major target for the versatile Sugar Shock, to “see if she can handle the mile and a sixteenth again.”
“She might be a little bit better as a sprinter, but we don’t know yet,” Anderson said.
Sugar Shock broke her maiden sprinting at the 2014 Oaklawn meeting before winning a first-level allowance/optional claiming sprint, and, in her first start around two turns, being disqualified from a victory in the $150,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) in March.
After winning the Fantasy at 1 1/16 miles, Sugar Shock ran eighth in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs and captured the $75,000 Panthers Stakes May 31 at Prairie Meadows.
“She looks like she’s grown up some,” said Anderson, part of the filly’s ownership group (On Cloud Nine, LLC). “We’re looking forward to a pretty decent year, hopefully.”
Sugar Shock is among 13 horses Anderson has at Oaklawn.
Sugar Shock, a $20,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sales graduate, was bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, who owned 1996 Apple Blossom winner Twice the Vice.
Source: Oaklawn Park