Unbeaten Candy Ride Preps for American

Sid and Jenny Craig's Candy Ride, gearing up for his North American stakes debut in the July 4 American Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park, worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 handily over the a fast main track Saturday morning.

Hall of Fame conditioner Ron McAnally caught the Argentine import galloping out the six furlongs in 1:12 2/5.

"He's a very good horse," McAnally said of the 4-year-old son of Ride the Rails. "He's got such smooth movement and covers the ground so well. He's never surprised me. I knew he'd do well here.

"I'm running him (in the American) because it's the right distance and the right time. He's a group I winner on the turf already so I don't have to worry about if he'd like the turf or not and I'm building him up in distance. His first race here was at a mile and a sixteenth, this next one is at a mile and an eighth and then he'll be ready for a mile and a quarter."

The ultimate goal for Candy Ride, who won his American debut at 1 1/16 miles on June 7 by three lengths in an eye-catching time of 1:41 1/5, is the Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar, McAnally said. The Pacific Classic, a $1 million main track test at 1 ¼ miles, will be contested on Aug. 14.

"We bought him with the Pacific Classic in mind and the Craigs would really like to win that race. They live down (in the San Diego area) and it'd be nice for them to win the race at their home track."

Undefeated in four starts, Candy Ride has earned $59,149. He won last year's Joaquin S. de Anchorena and San Isidro Stakes (both Arg-I) before being purchased privately by the Craigs earlier this year.