NEWS

Caracortado, Sidney’s Candy meet in San Felipe

Posted: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 7:57 PM

CARACORTADO

Benoit & Associates photo

by Mike Curry

A pair of three-year-olds who delivered eye-opening victories during President’s Day weekend in February at Santa Anita Park will meet for the first time in the $150,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) on Saturday.

The 1 1/16-mile race at the Arcadia, California, track drew a field of seven, including Caracortado, who won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) on February 13, and Sidney’s Candy, winner of the San Vicente Stakes (G2) two days later during the holiday weekend.

Caracortado improved to five wins from as many starts for trainer Michael Machowsky when he surged clear in the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile Lewis by 1 3/4 lengths. The Cat Dreams gelding enjoyed an ideal stalking trip under regular rider Paul Atkinson and continued his rise from a maiden claiming race in his career debut to Triple Crown hopeful. He has won each of his five starts by open lengths for owners Blahut Racing and Machowsky’s Lo Hi Racing.

“It doesn’t seem like distance will be a problem for him,” said Atkinson, who earned his first stakes win in more than 3 1/2 years aboard Caracortado in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes on December 26. “In the Lewis, he just waited, and sitting on him, it was kind of like, ‘Can we go now? How about now? Are we ready yet?’ When I let him go, he just turns it on and gives you everything he’s got.”

Caracortado is ranked tenth in the THOROUGHBRED TIMES Road to the Triple Crown poll sponsored by Adequan, and Sidney’s Candy is right behind him in 11th.

A Candy Ride (Arg) colt trained by John Sadler, Sidney’s Candy could not have been more impressive in the San Vicente. He set a strong pace under Joe Talamo and rolled to a 4 1/4-length romp in a blistering 1:20.91 for seven furlongs.

Sidney’s Candy, who is campaigned by the Sid and Jenny Craig Trust, set a 5 1/2-furlong track record at Del Mar in his second career start, covering the distance in 1:02.71 to win an August maiden special weight race.

The San Felipe also drew Interactif, a multiple graded stakes winner on grass who will make his first start on a synthetic surface on Saturday on the Pro-Ride at Santa Anita; Robert B. Lewis Stakes runner-up Dave in Dixie; and graded stakes winner American Lion.

By Tiznow, American Lion won the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) at two and finished third to Caracortado in the Robert B. Lewis in his 2010 debut.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor

San Felipe S.