Candy Ride

Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) checked stakes winner off his list with an off-the-pace victory in the Affirmed S. at The Great Race Place late on Sunday afternoon. After a sparkling 5 3/4 length debut win Jan. 29 at Santa Anita, the bay colt was second in the GII San Felipe S. to Practical Move (Practical Joke) before he was sidelined with a slightly-elevated fever before the GI Santa Anita Derby. Off at odds of 1-2 here, Geaux Rocket Ride was determined to live up to...

Florent Geroux nursed HEAVENLY SUNDAY (f, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Alien Giant, by Giant's Causeway)'s speed to perfection as the pair went wire to wire at 9-1 to annex the GII Edgewood S. presented by Forcht Bank Friday on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs. A stampede followed them under the line with Revalita (Fr) (Recoletos {Fr}), Mission of Joy (Kitten's Joy), and Pipilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) just necks and heads apart vying for the place and show spots. When the gates flew, Heavenly Sunday hopped and stuttered out...

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today, we catch up with George Adams at Housatonic Bloodstock, who serves as the Director of Stallions and Breeding for Wasabi Ventures Stables. WHY NOT TONIGHT (5, Tapiture—Pay the Lady, by Not For Love), to be bred to Nashville This filly became Wasabi's first stakes winner last year when she won the All Brandy Stakes at...

Quality Road will lead the pack at the Lane's End stallion barn for the 2023 breeding season, standing for $200,000. Up from $150,000 in 2022, the 16-year-old is responsible for 2022 GI New York S. winner Bleecker Street, GII Rebel S. runner-up Ethereal Road, GI American Pharoah S. runner-up National Treasure, as well as three new 'TDN Rising Stars.' In the sales ring, he had seven yearlings bring seven figures at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale, including the $2.5-million colt who topped the sale. At $75,000, the same fee he...

5th-Keeneland, $100,145, Alw, 10-28, (NW1X), 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.88, gd, 2 3/4 lengths. HEAVENLY SUNDAY (f, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}--Alien Giant {SP}, by Giant's Causeway) was hammered to 7-5 favoritism on debut Sept. 27 against a Horseshoe Indianapolis 7 1/2-panel maiden turf race, and made it look like a gift when she won by seven, geared down lengths. Once again enthusiastically supported at 8-5 here, she mildly brushed with the inside horse at the jump but secured a ground saving position from midpack early. Advancing between runners approaching the five...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency                          7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 3:50 p.m.A Three Chimneys homebred, FLIRTING GIRL (Gun Runner) debuts Sunday at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen. Out of the Chester House mare House of Danzing, Flirting Girl is a half-sister to GISW & Lane's End sire Twirling Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), GSW Dubai Sky (Candy Ride {Arg]), and GSW Ethnic Dance (Tribal Rule). TJCIS PPS

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is the GI Longines Test S., a prestigious 3-year old filly event on the Saratoga calendar for the past century. Ah, the Test, the glorious Test. Remember the scintillating call--already 20 years ago--by Tom Durkin during the epic stretch battle between You and Carson Hollow? This race has been so good for so long. At seven furlongs since its second edition, it has delivered pulsating stretch...

Champion and three-time Grade I victor Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}--Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy)'s first foal arrived Sunday at Machmer Hall. The filly, out of Desire Street (Congrats) was bred by Machmer Hall, and born just before midnight. She was described by Carrie Brogden as a "well balanced, leggy, strapping filly with a great hind leg." Brogden continued, "We have already booked a dozen client and Machmer Hall mares back to him, so this baby certainly helps to justify that faith in this juvenile champion son of Candy Ride."...

Thoroughbred Charities of America's 32nd annual Stallion Season Auction will begin Jan. 5 and conclude Jan. 9. The fundraiser opens with an online auction of stallion seasons at 9 a.m. Jan. 5 and continues through 4:30 p.m. EST Jan. 7. Over 150 seasons will be available in the online auction, including to stallions Audible, Basin, Candy Ride, McKinzie, More Than Ready, Speightstown, and Volatile. A full list of seasons is available here. An online silent auction of non-season items, including halters worn by Life is Good, Curlin, Charlatan, Tapit, Knicks...

Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}--Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker), who defeated GI Kentucky Derby winner and GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Medina Spirit (Protonico) in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in his first start on the dirt, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2022 at Spendthrift Farm. The nursery had previous announced the acquisition in last April. The handy winner of a six-furlong turf sprint on career debut at Santa Anita Jan. 1, the $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase took the one-mile...

GI Santa Anita Derby hero Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) looks to take his turf record to three-for-three as he returns to the grass for the first time since February in Sunday's GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita. Opening his account with a pair of turf victories, including the Pasadena S. Feb. 27, the $650,000 KEESEP buy wired the Santa Anita Derby Apr. 3, but could not reproduce that effort in Louisville, finishing 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby May 1. A well-beaten in the GI Belmont S. June...

Two sons of Candy Ride (Arg)--Gun Runner and Twirling Candy--were represented by three 2-year-old Grade l winners over the weekend, and do you know one thing they had in common? Each was produced by a Storm Cat-line mare. This affinity for the Storm Cat line was also an important feature of Candy Ride's own success, and breeders appear to be copying that formula with his sons. It's not surprising; it's something that usually happens when a stallion is successful with the females of another sire line, and this type of...