Sidney's Candy turned in his first official workout since being acquired by WinStar Farm and transferred to the barn of Todd Pletcher, breezing four furlongs June 19 on Belmont Park’s main track in :49.73.
Previously trained in Southern California by John Sadler for the Craig Family Trust, the grade I-winning son of Candy Ride is being considered for the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 6.
“It was our first work with him, and it seemed to go well,” Pletcher said. “We’ll talk to Elliott (Walden, president/CEO and racing manager for WinStar) about a game plan. One thing we had mentioned as a possibility is the Whitney, but we have a ways to go.”
Sidney’s Candy is a graded stakes winner on dirt, turf, and synthetic, with his biggest victory having come in the 2010 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) on Santa Anita’s former artificial surface. He has made two starts at Hollywood Park in 2011, finishing second in both the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (gr. II) on the all-weather May 7 and the American Handicap (gr. IIT) on turf May 28.
“He’s successful on three different surfaces, so we have a lot of options,” Pletcher said. “He has a lot of speed and can carry it a distance. There are a lot of possibilities.”
Sidney's Candy has won six of 13 lifetime starts with four seconds and earnings of $953,560.
Pletcher revealed that Buster's Ready, second in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) at Pimlico Race Course May 20, will make her next start at Belmont in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) June 25. Owned by the Estate of Edward P. Evans, the daughter of More Than Ready breezed four furlongs in :51.97 June 19.
“It was a little bit slow, but she did it relaxed and on her own, and she’s very fit,” Pletcher said. “It was a good performance last time in the Black-Eyed Susan, and I hope she continues that trend of improvement.”