Talented LA-bred filly Seaside Candy wins Si Cima Stakes

Stewart M. Madison’s Seaside Candy debuted victoriously and impressively at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in February and appeared to be a filly with a future filled with black type. On the afternoon of Sunday Nov. 20, the 3-year-old Louisiana-bred daughter of excellent second-crop stallion Twirling Candy actualized such with her first stakes victory in her first added-money attempt in the $51,000 Si Cima Stakes.

 

Trained by Al Stall, Jr., the talented bay stalked comfortably in clear in third from her outside post seven, cleared at the top of the stretch and easily bested her seven rivals by four lengths in the mile and 70 yard event. Ridden by Colby Hernandez, she returned $22.40, $7 and $3.40 and stopped the clock in 1:43.08.

 

Finishing a driving second was Set-Hut LLC’s Jerry Delhomme-trained Forest Lake ($4.60 and $3), who out-battled Maggi Moss’ Tom Amoss-trained favorite Big World ($2.10), who was bothered considerably by traffic trouble when breaking from the gate. The consistent runner-up was finishing in the top three in her sixth stakes of 2016. A half-length separated the runner-up and third place finisher, with another half-length back to Keith Plaisance’s Eddie Johnston-trained Pacific Pink in fourth.

 

Winning for the third time in seven starts, Seaside Candy banked $31,000 to increase his career earnings to $82,940. Not nominated to Louisiana Champions Day in on Dec. 10, for which the Si Cima is a prep, she would have to be supplemented by her connections. 

 

“She broke running and I just had to let her do her thing,” Hernandez said. “I put her where she wanted and got her to relax as much as possible. Right around the five-sixteenths pole I asked her and she just kicked in and after that I didn’t hear anybody coming. We had everything our way.”

 

“She’s a quirky filly who is loaded with talent,” Stall added. “We’ve struggled with her her whole career, but we decided to take a shot with her. We pulled the blinkers off and drawing outside was really the best thing for her. He took that light hold and let her travel.”

 

Stall confirmed that the plan is to supplement Seaside Candy to the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies.