Sweet Win for Sidney's Candy in San Vicente

Candy Ride colt wins grade II in fourth career start.

Favored Sidney's Candy got a quick jump out of the gate and never looked back en route to a decisive 4 1/4-length victory in the San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) (VIDEO) on the Presidents’ Day card at Santa Anita Feb. 15.

A 3-year-old son of Candy Ride ridden by Joe Talamo for trainer John Sadler, Sidney’s Candy set fractional times of :22.77, :45.50, and 1:08.62 while being stalked throughout by Tiny Woods. It was never really close as the winner drew off in the stretch to complete the seven furlongs in a quick 1:20.91.

Racing for the Sid and Jenny Craig Trust, Sidney’s Candy avenged a previous loss to Tiny Woods in a six-furlong allowance at Santa Anita on Dec. 30. The 3-5 favorite that day, Sidney’s Candy ran an even fourth as Tiny Woods set the pace in a narrow victory.

The San Vicente was the second win in four lifetime starts for Sidney’s Candy, who has earned $133,560. Produced from the Storm Cat mare Fair Exchange, the winner was bred in Kentucky by Sid and Jenny Craig.

Sidney’s Candy returned $6.20, $3.60, and $2.40. Tiny Woods paid $3.80 and $2.60 while Classical Slew got up for third and paid $4.00. The exacta was $24.20 and the trifecta paid $110.60. Completing the order was Runaway Bandido, Quiet Invader, Gilligan, and Raging Wit.

Trainer Sadler said Sidney's Candy's next start is undetermined but that it would be a two-turn race as he preps the colt for the classics.

"I don’t know what’s next yet; we’re going to look at all the different races," Sadler said. "The reason I didn’t want to go into an allowance race is because of the graded earnings for the big stuff (Kentucky Derby). He’ll be going around two turns next time, that’s for sure. Which one of those races it is, we don’t know yet.”

The trainer said the colt returned to the running style that suits him best in the San Vicente.

“In his last start he had been off four or five months, he was a little heavy and he didn’t break. He’s kind of a free-running horse, so when he got out of his game the other day it didn’t surprise me that he didn’t run well. We want him to do what he does, which is kind of bouncing around a little bit with some natural speed. Once I saw him get rhythmic today I knew we were going to be fine. The plan today was to get him back on the lead."

Talamo said: “I was confident he’d bounce back with a good effort today. At the three-eighths I just kind of clucked to him and he got right into the bridle.They’ve done a great job with this horse. I just basically sat on him today and I couldn’t believe that final time; that’s awesome. It’s very exciting to have a horse of this caliber.