Twirling Candy and Setsuko, the prime participants in a series of bumping incidents through the stretch of a roughly run Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 5, are to resume their rivalry in the $150,000 Californian (gr. II) at Hollywood Park June 4.
The 1 1/8-mile Cushion Track test serves as Hollywood's final major prep for the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) July 9.
Twirling Candy, who was pinballed in the middle of the bumping and finished fifth as the 1-2 favorite, worked one mile in 1:38 May 29. “Nice and smooth,” said trainer John Sadler. “We’re looking to run.
“Twirling Candy actually came out of the Big’ Cap in good shape physically,” said Sadler. “He had an abscess on his foot when he came to Hollywood Park but that was taken care of.”
Santa Anita stewards ruled that Twirling Candy had drifted inward coming off the turn and was responsible for his own problems in making no change in the order of finish.
Trainer Richard Mandella hopes that Setsuko's luck changes in the Californian. The 4-year-old colt finished second by a nose behind Game On Dude in the Big ‘Cap after being bumped hard in mid-stretch. The Hall of Fame trainer was disappointed by the stewards' ruling, which came after a lengthy inquiry.
Mandella hoped to run Setsuko in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (gr. III) in West Virginia April 16 but the 4-year-old colt, who has not won a stakes, was bumped out of the last spot in a field of 10 by a late entrant with better criteria. Setsuko broke his maiden at Hollywood Park and has finished second in three graded stakes.
Twirling Candy
