Comebacker Candy Ride Tack Walks at 'Anita

Sid and Jenny Craig's Candy Ride, taking his first steps on the comeback trail Saturday, was tack-walked for about 25 minutes at trainer Ron McAnally's Santa Anita barn. The 4-year-old Argentine-bred son of Ride the Rails hasn't raced since winning the Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar on Aug. 24 and had been on vacation since mid-September.

"He had a saddle on his back for the first time today," said Dan Landers, McAnally's assistant. "He'll walk for a few days and then go back to the track and jog for a while. How many days he'll jog and when he'll start galloping again will depend on how he's doing and how he's coming along."

Since being imported to America earlier this year, Candy Ride has won all three of his starts, beginning with an allowance race in June and continuing with the American Handicap (gr. IIT) on the lawn in July and then the Pacific Classic. He was the early favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) – Powered by Dodge, in late summer before McAnally made the decision to shelve the colt for the remainder of the year in order to have a fresh horse for the 2004 campaign.

Candy Ride was initially due back in training in early December, but after a bout with a slight case of colic in mid-November due to some inclement weather in Southern California, his return was pushed back nearly a month to give him sufficient time to recover.

Candy Ride is undefeated in six career starts and has banked $749,149.