Yo Yo Candy shocks in the Sanford (G3) July 15 at Saratoga (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Happy Tenth Stable’s graded stakes-winner Yo Yo Candy could make his return from a five-month respite in the Listed $150,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores, on April 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Bay Shore is one of five stakes offered on the lucrative Wood Memorial Day card, topped by the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier at nine furlongs for sophomores. The card will also feature the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
Trained by Daniel Velazquez, Yo Yo Candy made a name for himself in July at Saratoga Race Course when springing a 46-1 upset in the Grade 3 Sanford with a stalking trip under regular pilot Angel Castillo. He followed with distant off-the-board finishes in the Grade 1 Hopeful sprinting seven furlongs at the Spa and the Listed Nashua traveling one mile in November at the Big A ahead of his winter freshening.
Velazquez said Yo Yo Candy relished his time away from the races and that the Bay Shore is a likely landing spot for the dark bay son of Danzing Candy.
“I’m ‘60/40’ to go there,” said Velazquez. “I think we will go and he’s ready for the race, we’re just trying to figure out who’s going to be in there. That was the original target, and we’re just playing it by ear now. He’s doing good and we gave him a little break. He’s developed and I’m curious to see if he can give us a good 3-year-old campaign.”
Yo Yo Candy has worked steadily since February at his home base of Parx Racing, including a robust six-furlong breeze from the gate in 1:15.21 on March 20.
“He’s gotten more serious and has gotten bigger and wider on me, which is good,” Velazquez said. “Mentally, he has developed. He was a bit of a boy and is becoming a man now. I’ve got to make sure the Sanford wasn’t a fluke and we’ve got to see if he’s gotten better this year.”
A $35,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Yo Yo Candy is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Two Punch mare Yolanda B. Too and is a half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Treble. He has banked $149,050 through a record of 5-2-0-1 that includes a debut graduation sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs in May at Parx.
