Sidney's Candy, the overwhelming favorite in a scratched-down field of five for the $150,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Dec. 26, romped to a 7 1/4-length triumph (VIDEO).
The one-mile event for 3-year-olds, originally a grade II on turf, was moved to the main track after three-quarters of an inch of rain was received overnight at Santa Anita.
Sidney's Candy registered the second stakes win of the day for trainer John Sadler and jockey Joel Rosario, who teamed to capture the $250,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old filles with Switch a race earlier. Sadler and Rosario claimed the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) with Twirling Candy a race later to complete a sweep of the three graded stakes on the opening-day card before 34,268.
Sadler was nursing a bad knee and didn't make it Santa Anita.
Sidney's Candy, Jenny Craig's brilliant Kentucky homebred son of Candy Ride --Fair Exchange, by Storm Cat, always looked like a winner in the Sir Beaufort while completing the mile in 1:33.70.
"Johnny (Sadler) said, 'Just go to the front. You're on the best horse," said assistant trainer Larry Benavidez. "It's pretty to watch down the lane, isn't it? (Sidney's Candy) can do it all (dirt, synthetic, turf). We're blessed during the holiday season."
Sent off at odds of 3-10, Rosario sent Sidney's Candy to the front over Indian Firewater. The latter managed to cling to Sidneys' Candy through rapid early fractions of :22.48 and :45.03 before the leader edged away on the final turn, completing six furlongs in 1:08.45.
The fast splits seemed to have no effect on Sidney's Candy, who drew away easily through the lane under a firm hand ride. He led by five lengths mid-stretch and continued to lengthen his lead to the wire while toting high weight of 123 pounds.
"He's a really good horse and likes to run free and easy," Rosario said. "Even though he went fast fractions, he just kept going."
Indian Firewater angled out in the stretch run for Rafael Bejarano and held on for second by a half-length over Nextdoorneighbor and Victor Espinoza. Stephen's Got Hope and Blue Panis trailed.
Sidney's Candy ran sixth in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs, a race in which he set the pace and faded late to finish three lengths behind the victorious Goldikova.
He won the La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT) by 5 1/2 lengths in his turf debut in his previous start at Del Mar, but went into the Breeders' Cup without a race in nearly three months.
The victory, worth $90,000 improved his career mark to 6-2-0 in 11 starts with earnings of $893,560.
Sidney's Candy paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10 and keyed a $6.20 exacta. Indian Firewter returned $2.60 and $2.60 after recording his ninth consecutive in-the-money finish for trainer Bob Baffert. Nextdoorneighbor was $3.40 to show.
There were four scratches: Accelerant, Bogie, Make Music for Me and Sebastian Flyte.