NEWS
Sidney’s Candy follows proven path to dirt
Posted: Monday, April 26, 2010 5:08 PM
SIDNEY'S CANDY
PhotosByZ.com
by Jeff Lowe
Bob Baffert may not train Sidney’s Candy, but he has been fairly adamant that the Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner is the horse to beat in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
Baffert shrugged off the primary question that has surrounded the Candy Ride (Arg) colt: can he handle dirt? No one knows for sure since Sidney’s Candy, at this point, carries the distinction of being the only Derby horse without a previous start on a conventional dirt track.
Sidney’s Candy has raced exclusively on synthetic surfaces in Southern California, rolling into Churchill Downs with three straight wins on the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita Park. His front-running triumph in the Santa Anita Derby came at the expense of Baffert’s champion Lookin At Lucky, who finished a troubled third in the worst performance of his career.
Churchill oddsmaker Mike Battaglia said on Sunday that he viewed Lookin At Lucky as the probable favorite at around 3-to-1 odds and Sidney’s Candy as the second-choice at around 6-to-1. Lookin At Lucky’s form is a little more clear since he won the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park in his only start on dirt.
Baffert said Sidney’s Candy should have no trouble with the transition.
“Sidney’s Candy should be the favorite, he’s the one that beat [Lookin At Lucky],” Baffert said. “I’ve watched him work twice here and he looks phenomenal. He’ll run well. Our horses in California, once they get off the synthetic, they really move up on the dirt, especially speed horses. They can utilize their speed a lot more.”
Baffert used that formula with Conveyance, who won the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn in his dirt debut. Sidney’s Candy’s trainer, John Sadler, made the same move with Line of David, who led at every point of call in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
“We’re hard on ourselves and everybody’s hard on California, but if you look at the horses that have come out of California this year, we’ve shipped all over the country and run well this year, from the three-year-olds to Zenyatta, Evening Jewel, Blind Luck, and Zardana (Brz),” Sadler said.
The Derby lineup also features an unusual number of horses with turf form. Noble’s Promise, Line of David, Stately Victor, Dean’s Kitten, Interactif, Awesome Act, and Paddy O’Prado all are winners on turf. Paddy O’Prado and Dean’s Kitten were the top two finishers, respectively, in the Palm Beach Stakes (G3) on the grass at Gulfstream Park.
Dale Romans, the Churchill-based trainer of Paddy O’Prado, said he does not necessarily subscribe to the old-time theory that horses with turf pedigrees perform better on the Churchill dirt than they would elsewhere.
“I’ve heard that said—that if you’re going to run a turf horse on the dirt, this is the place to do it—but I don’t know that I’ve really noticed it,” Romans said. “My horse trains well here on the dirt, and his sire, El Prado (Ire), has 50% of his winners on the dirt, and this horse’s mother won on the dirt.
“He’s a good horse anyway. He was one of our favorite two-year-olds when he came in, and we took some aggressive steps with him. He ran [in] a couple stakes as a maiden, but he was such a good horse that we didn’t want to waste a good effort in a maiden race.”
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
Grass path
Horses in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) who have raced on turf
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Horse |
Sire |
Turf credential |
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Awesome Act |
Awesome Again |
Fourth-place finish Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) |
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Dean’s Kitten |
Kitten’s Joy |
Stakes winner at Belmont Park |
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Interactif |
Broad Brush |
Grade 3 winner at Saratoga, Keeneland |
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Line of David |
Lion Heart |
Maiden, allowance wins at Santa Anita |
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Noble’s Promise |
Cuvee |
Maiden win at Ellis Park |
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Paddy O’Prado |
El Prado (Ire) |
Grade 3 at Gulfstream |
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Stately Victor |
Ghostzapper |
Maiden win at Saratoga |
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Make Music For Me* |
Bernstein |
Stakes winner at Santa Anita |
*Would need a defection to make the Kentucky Derby field of 20
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: John, Somerset, KY on May 01, 2010 at 01:35 AM
Now don't misunderstand my comments here. I'm not at all suggesting that Sidney's Candy is as great, or as powerful of a runner as was Big Brown. But he does break well from the gate. And if there's a colt that is big enough, strong enough, and fast enough to overcome the #20 starting gate in this field, it is Sidney's Candy, IMO. Had he ran, I think Eskendereya could overcome it as well. But I really think Sidney's Candy will break quick. In front of most of the field, and be able to slide right over closer to the rail early in the race, and save some ground. If he succeeds in doing that, it may then just be a question of if he can hold off the late charging cavalry, at 1-1/4, that will be sure to be coming at him. IMO.
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Posted by: Shiznik, Portland, OR on April 27, 2010 at 08:22 PM
Wow! The best chance at the TC since all the way back too Big Brown, now that's going back in the ole history books, I'd say. Just ribbing you a bit, it hit me funny. I like your pick though, LAL, is gonna be tough to beat. I would suggest boxing that LAL and SC exacta though.
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Posted by: Keeneland observer, Lexington, KY on April 27, 2010 at 12:30 PM
We'll see how Lookin At Lucky responds when Sidney's Candy turns for home with a 4-length lead (after coming from just off the pace).
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Posted by: Andrew, Monrovia, CA on April 27, 2010 at 01:21 AM
Sidney's Candy is coming into the Derby with two front running, no trouble what so ever victories. I agree that he's very talented and probably should be the morning line favorite given how he's run at Santa Anita, however he's gonna be getting dirt in his face while being held by Talamo to sit off of a fast pace, and then when the real running begin in the stretch he'll have to overcome his main threat Lookin at Lucky who'll be closing with every stride. That's a lot to ask from a horse. If he wins the derby I'd pencil him in as the best triple crown candidate since Big Brown. I mean, who else is there if it isn't Lookin at Lucky? And one more thing to keep in mind...after the trouble Lookin at Lucky encountered in the Derby he closed at the same rate as Sidney's Candy did. He was 6 lengths behind coming into the stretch and he was 6 lengths behind at the finish. My pick? Lookin at lucky by 2 lengths!
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Posted by: James, Lexington, KY on April 27, 2010 at 12:50 AM
I was impressed with the way Sidney's Candy ran away from the field in the S.A. Derby. It would have been a LOT better to judge had LAL not gotten interfered with so bad right when he was making his move on the final turn. I guess we'll see on Saturday. How many years in a row has it been "wet" for the KY Derby?
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