Ready for Candy staves off the challenge. (Coglianese/NYRA Photo)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Lindy Farms’ Ready for Candy secured a graded double while improving to 3-for-3 in the care of trainer Philip Antonacci in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point, a nine-furlong inner turf route for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.
Ready for Candy was purchased for $400,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale and moved to the Antonacci barn after seven starts as a maiden for trainer Michael DePaulo last year, including three stakes placings at Woodbine Racetrack.
The purchase has proven worthwhile as the Twirling Candy dark bay graduated in her barn debut by 7 3/4 lengths when wiring a nine-furlong maiden versus elders on August 17 at Saratoga Race Course, ahead of a last-out score in the one-mile Grade 3 Winter Memories on September 20 here.
“She’s a little tricky and you have to get along with her – she has her quirks,” Antonacci said. “But when it comes to the races, she’s as professional as it comes, and it allows the rider to do whatever he needs to do with her which makes her dangerous.”
Piloted by Ricardo Santana, Jr., who was aboard for the Winter Memories, Ready for Candy exited post 5 and settled into third position, stalking the pace set by Paradise City who was pressured mildly by Boca Queen through an opening quarter-mile in 23.61 seconds over the firm turf.
Ready for Candy saved ground rounding the first turn and remained in third position through the half-mile in 49.32 as Fast Market, Griselda and Winfinity drew up to her outside while the order in front remained the same.
“Last time, she had a little trouble and broke slow, and still, she was fighting to the end. Today, I loved my post and my position in the first turn. She was really comfortable,” said Santana, Jr.
Paradise City, the rallying nose runner-up to Ready for Candy last out in the Winter Memories, continued to lead in the second turn through three-quarters in 1:14.40 and once straightened for home, the tracking Boca Queen was hard-ridden by Kendrick Carmouche and stalled a touch. Santana, Jr. located a seam to the outside of Paradise City as Boca Queen ran evenly and Ready for Candy kicked on as the Samuel Marin-piloted Fast Market followed suit down the center of the course.
Ready for Candy and Fast Market flew by Paradise City within the eighth pole, and it was a duel to the line following one-mile in 1:38.11. Ready for Candy was game to the inside and kept her neck in front of the hard-trying Fast Market in a final time of 1:49.44.
Pretty Picture closed for third 1 3/4 lengths back with Boca Queen completing the superfecta. Paradise City, Griselda, Decadent and Winfinity rounded out the order of finish.
“Turning for home, I asked and she gave me a really nice kick. I had a little room so I could get around the seven [Paradise City] and she was much the best today,” Santana, Jr. said. “When my filly put her head in front, I knew the other one was never going to pass her. She fights until the end.”
The victory provided Antonacci with his second career graded stakes win from just five attempts.
“Perfect trip. She broke well and put herself in a spot. Ricardo protected his position and it set up perfectly for her,” said Antonacci. “Luckily, the room opened up on the inside and it worked out great.”
Antonacci added that a possible next target for Ready for Candy is the Grade 3, $175,000 Pebbles on November 16 here.
“Either we come back in the Pebbles or maybe that might be it for her this year and shut her down for the winter and bring her back at Keeneland in the spring,” Antonacci said. “These fillies – you can’t run the tank empty. She owes us nothing this year – she had three straight wins. We’ll get her home and if she’s raring to go and wants to race some more we’ll give it another shot, but we’ll let her tell us.”
Marin said the John Terranova-trained Fast Market performed admirably while facing winners for the first time after a ninth-start graduation on September 21 here.
“I wasn’t worried about the pace because I was where I wanted to be, right off the five [Ready for Candy],” Marin said. “The pace came back to me, she was there when I asked her, at the quarter, and we just didn’t get lucky. I tried to keep the winner in there, but he [Santana, Jr.] still got through and got the jump on us. This filly is going to keep improving for us.”
Bred in Ontario by Mark Dodson, Ready for Candy is out of the stakes-placed More Than Ready mare Enoree, a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Grand Bili and dual stakes-placed Conquest City Girl. She banked $110,000 in victory while improving her overall record to 10-3-3-2 and returning $4.38 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card, featuring the Listed $150,000 Noble Damsel [Race 7], the $150,000 Autumn Days [Race 9] and the rescheduled $150,000 Carle Place [Race 6]. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
