Sponsored by

CANDY RIDE (ARG)

Stands for $40,000 live foal at Lane's End.

Candy Ride is the stallion of the week, for the week ended Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. On the Sunday after Christmas at Santa Anita over the newly unveiled dirt course, Candy Ride's 3-year-old sons Twirling Candy and Sidney's Candy won the G1 Malibu and G3 Sir Beaufort (off the turf) in back-to-back performances to signal even more promise to come for the 2011 season.

Twirling Candy's nose victory in the Malibu made him the sixth individual G1 winner for his sire from his first two crops, 4 and 3 in 2010. The others are Sidney's Candy, who won the G1 Santa Anita Derby; Misremembered, winner of the G1 Santa Anita Handicap; El Brujo, first in the G1 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar; Evita Argentina, winner of the G1 La Brea at Santa Anita; and Capt. Candyman Can, winner of the G1 King's Bishop at Saratoga. That's quite a resume for a sire that began his career for a $10,000 fee at Hill 'N' Dale Farm and was available for less in his early years. Since moved to Lane's End, he stood for $25,000 in 2010, stands for $40,000 stands and nurse for 2011 and is booked solid at the farm. No Guarantee seasons that are available have been said to be selling for more than the live foal fee.

In all, Candy Ride has sired 15 black type winners, including seven Group/Graded performers and eight Listed winners. Aside from the six G1 winners noted, he's also the sire of G3 winner Chocolate Candy, who was also G1-placed in the Santa Anita Derby. Three of his G1 winners are out of Storm Cat-line mares.

Candy Ride is an Argentine-bred son of Ride the Rails and traces in tail male to Fappiano through Cryptoclearance, the sire of his sire. He was undefeated in six starts in Argentina and the US and was a G1 winner from 1600 meters (metric mile) in Argentina on turf to 10 furlongs on dirt in the US, where he won the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 1:59.11. He has passed this ability to sprint and stay to his best offspring, whose G1 wins span the spectrum from sprints to the 10 furlongs of the Santa Anita Handicap. His offspring also have shown uncanny ability to handle dirt, synthetics, and turf.

Candy Ride, along with Forli and Lord at War, is one of the three best Argentine-bred horses to stand here. Each was undefeated in Argentina and could be best described as a miler, though each raced farther and won races by wide margins, in fast times.

Forli, sire of the mighty Forego, was a quadruple crown winner in his native land; Lord at War won the G1 Joaquin S. de Anchorena and the G1 Santa Anita Handicap at 10 furlongs; and Candy Ride also won the Anchorena, by eight lengths, in the sensational time of 1:31.01.

--eMatings staff