Candy Ride (Arg)

If it stays like this, a single maiden winner might settle it. Because all that separates McKinzie ($2,294,679) from current leader Tiz the Law ($2,339,575) in the freshman table is $44,896. But wait, there's more. McKinzie isn't even second. Between the pair lurks Vekoma ($2,306,457), ensuring a desperate three-way contest for the prized laurels of champion first-season sire. It's even closer than this time last year, when four stallions were divided by barely $200,000. In the end, Mitole actually extended his lead down the stretch. But the fact that the...

Nobody should have been to surprised when Tarifa (Bernardini) won Saturday's GII Mother Goose S. at the Belmont at the Big A meet, turning the tables on the favored Gun Song (Gun Runner). The same goes for Saturday's GII Fayette S. at Keeneland, won by the Cox-trained Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). Starting one month ago, on Sept. 27, he's been on a tear, winning 12 of the 17 (70 % percent) stakes races he has entered in. Overall, Cox is 20-for-63 (32%) for the month of October. He ran...

A winner of the GII Joe Hernandez Stakes, GISP Chewing Gum (Candy Ride {Arg}--Shared Heart, by Forestry) will take up residence at Rockridge Stud for the 2025 season and will stand for a partnership including Wachtel and Pantofel Stables, the farm announced via presser Friday. The five-time winner claimed the aforementioned graded contest at Santa Anita in 2022 but had made an appearance at the highest level the year prior, finishing two-lengths second to Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in the GI Jackpocket Jaipur Stakes the summer of 2021. He'd run...

It's not easy to live in Life Is Good's shadow, but his half-brother has been eking out a name for himself one photo finish at a time, and his most recent exploits had him in view all alone at the line. It was a battle down the lane, but Most Wanted (Candy Ride {Arg}--Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor) would not be denied en route to securing his first graded black-type in the GIII Oklahoma Derby. Undefeated in his career by a grand total of less than two lengths, the West...

9th-Churchill Downs, $122,102, Msw, 6-21, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:22.63, ft, neck. MOST WANTED (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor), a half-brother to young WinStar stallion Life Is Good (Into Mischief), Hwt. Older Horse-UAE at 9 1/2-11f, MGISW, $4,541,700, wasn't much of a secret here and was sent off as the 4-5 favorite for this unveiling. Not off to the cleanest of beginnings from his outside draw, Most Wanted broke inward and bumped into a rival at the start. He raced in fifth through fractions of :22.58 and :45.56...

Charged Temp (Star Guitar), a full-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' GSW Manama Gold and 13-time winner GSW Ova Charged, has been added to the Fasig-Tipton May Digital sale as HIP 42, announced the auction house via release Friday. A four-time winner herself, Charged Temp is offered in foal with her first offspring by GISW Arabian Lion (Justify) on a 2024 cover. She hails from an active female line as her dam SW Charged Cotton (Dehere) is a half to MSW & GSP Walkwithapurpose (Candy Ride {Arg}), whose daughter Regulatory Risk...

Old Friends, which will host its 19th Annual Homecoming Event on Sunday, May 5, has opened absentee bidding for a number of halters featured in a live and silent auction. Halters previously worn by Afleet Alex, Candy Ride (Arg), Channel Maker, Feathered, Gun Runner, I'll Have Another, Lava Man, Sea Hero, Serena's Song, Silver Charm, Silver State, Sky Mesa, and Tapit are available, with most accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. To bid, email your name, address, and phone number along with your highest bid to: horses@oldfriendsequine.org. The final deadline...

5th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 3:15p.m. ET Going to post carrying the legendary Claiborne colors is STRIFE (War Front), a homebred for the storied operation under the tutelage of Christophe Clement. Out of Black Dynamite (More Than Ready), a winning half-sister to MGSW Chocolate Ride (Candy Ride {Arg})--himself a course-record setter in the GII Melvin H. Muniz Jr. H., Strife is the first to the races for that mare. Her dam is also a half-sister to GISW Killer Graces (Congaree), who made a name in Japan as the dam...

1st-LRL, $47K, Msw, 3-5yo, 6f, 12:25 p.m. ET. Three-year-old WRIGHTSVILLE (Candy Ride {Arg}) was initially purchased by Brady Bloodstock for $300,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. Then, the dark bay was taken home by SF, Starlight and Madaket at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $610,000, which was the top price for his sire's offspring that year. Out of an unraced dam, the Brittany Russell trainee counts as a half-brother GSW Durante (Distorted Humor). TJCIS PPS

Today we conclude our survey of Kentucky stallion options with a look at the apex of the pyramid, comprising a couple of dozen standing between $60,000 and $250,000--besides whatever it might take to secure your mare an audience with Justify. It feels presumptuous enough to offer counsel even on cheaper sires, when each mating should boil down to you finding an optimal fit for an individual mare that you know inside out. Still greater hesitation, then, must precede any attempt to discover "value" among this lot. No stallion has any...

Valentine Candy (Justify) put a sweet punctuation to his year with a dominant display in the Advent S. on Oaklawn's opening day. Victorious against a well-met field of Saratoga maidens in July, the chestnut tired badly in the GI Hopeful S. after a round of bumper cars soon after the break took him off the pace. He resurfaced at Keeneland in October with two starts--a second against first-level optional claimers on the seventh and then running third Oct. 28 in the Bowman Mill S. Sent away at 9-5 in good...

4th-OP, $115k, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:54p.m. ET A $350,000 FTSAUG purchase for HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, RIDE FOR SUL (Candy Ride {Arg}) looks to open his tab as 2023 winds down to a close. Out of Southern Honey (Colonel John), winner of the GIII Winning Colors S. and graded-placed on two other occasions, the colt hails from the same female family which yielded MGSW & MGISP Runway Model and her son MGISW McKinzie (Street Sense). Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Keith Asmussen, the morning line...