Twirling Candy

1st-Woodbine, C$83,346, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, 5f (AWT), :58.15, ft, 8 3/4 lengths. PARTY ON (f, 2, Twirling Candy--No Curfew, by Curlin) took on the boys in her debut, going off as the 2-1 choice and going right out to the early lead. Set down through fractions of :22.31 and :45.59, she easily dispatched pressure from Valyrian Sky (Sky Mesa) turning for home and easily the class of the field to the line to win by 8 3/4 lengths. The second impressive 2-year-old filly for Twirling Candy on the day, Party...

2nd-Saratoga, $105,945, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.14, ft, 6 lengths. SUGAR HI (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Laughing Matters, by Medaglia d'Oro) tipped her hand for trainer Bill Mott early off a series of quick drills and was subsequently slammed down from her 8-1 morning line into the 2-1 favorite's role for the first 2-year-old maiden race of the 2023 Saratoga meet. Picked up for just $180,000 out of last year's Keeneland September Sale, the bay broke with intent from her outside draw and was up to press the pace...

7th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 7:05 p.m. Trainer John Sadler debuts LEVON (Practical Joke) for Talla Racing and Central Dispatch (Arrogate) for Hronis Racing. The stablemates both worked a bullet five furlongs from the gate in :59 1/5 (1/12) at Los Alamitos June 10. The former is a $750,000 KEESEP buy whose dam Gal Factor (The Factor) counts GI Arkansas Derby hero Super Stock (Dialed In) as a half brother. Trainer Bob Baffert will saddle first-time starter Confucius (Candy Ride {Arg}) whose dam Mumtaazah (Tapit) is a half-sister to...

9th-Churchill Downs, $123,240, Msw, 5-21, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.89, fm, 1 3/4 lengths. TAKING CANDY (c, 3, Twirling Candy--Taking Aim, by Trappe Shot), not seen since his debut last August at Saratoga in a route over the turf where he finished a well-beaten sixth, returned here as the 8-1 choice. The bay colt settled mid-pack as the leaders tried to slow the pace down the backstretch. Into the far turn, Taking Candy looked for running room along the rail, cut to the three path at the top of the lane,...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training opened Tuesday with a session that produced figures nearly identical to the auction's 2022 opening session. "It was a good start to the sale," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "A lot of horses sold very well. And I'd like to think the strength will continue through the next three days. I feel pretty good about that. There are a lot of good horses left to sell." During Tuesday's...

1st-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 4-14, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.94, ft, 2 3/4 lengths. SWEET CHERRY PIE (c, 3, Twirling Candy--Sweet Cat {MGSP, $232,950}, by Kitten's Joy) clearly had no qualms about facing older horses in just his second start off a troubled fourth-place debut at Gulfstream Park six weeks ago, checking in behind the highly regarded winner Scotland (Good Magic). Cutting back a furlong off his Florida debut at seven-eighths, the Kentucky-bred showed early speed right out of the gate and raced closest to the rail as he battled with Cape Trafalgar...

Exaulted didn't even try the turf until his 11th career start back on Jan. 2 but the 6-year-old has more than made up for lost time with his third straight win on the Santa Anita grass course, taking the GIII American S. Sunday. Entered off a pair of 93 Beyer Speed Figure efforts--a career high--against allowance and optional claiming company respectively, Exaulted earned 9-5 second choice honors for his first graded-stakes race since contesting the GII Triple Bend S. last May. Sent to the front after a sharp beginning from...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - With plenty of activity at the top of the market, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded its three-day run with increases in average and median over last year's two-session renewal and five juveniles selling for seven figures, led by a co-record $2-million son of Good Magic. "I thought it was a really good sale and it held strong all the way through," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "There were quality horses on each...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL-The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which had four million-dollar juveniles a year ago, has matched that mark with another day to go as a colt by Good Magic topped Tuesday's trade with a sale co-record final price of $2 million. Bob Baffert, sitting in the press box alongside Donato Lanni while on the phone with Amr Zedan, made the winning bid, which matched the $2-million price tag of Chestertown (Tapit), who sold at the auction in 2019. "It...

Sean Flanagan, who has been active throughout both sessions of the OBS March sale, made his biggest splash of the auction when going to $1 million to acquire a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 433) from the Eddie Woods consignment. The juvenile, who worked a furlong in :9 4/5 last week, is out of graded-placed Divine Dawn (Divine Park), a full-sister to graded stakes winner Divine Miss Grey. The Quarter Pole Enterprises pinhooking partnership acquired the gray colt for $200,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Bloodstock agent Jeff Mackor...

1st-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 3-17, 3yo, 1mT, 1:34.64, fm, nose. KALIK (c, 3, Collected--Coronation Street, by Street Cry {Ire}) began his career in a Sept. 16 Belmont at Big A maiden special over the main track which yielded 'TDN Rising Star' Signator (Tapit) and next-out winner Warman Road (Unified), finishing last in that field. The Triple Crown-nominated chestnut was moved to the turf and stretched out to 1 1/16 miles Oct. 23 at the venue, and came a much improved second to next-out stakes-winner Bat Flip (Good Magic). Opening his sophomore...

After an unsuccessful fifth behind GISW & 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin) on the dirt at Del Mar in November, Ag Bullet made the switch to the grass and immediately found success, posting a 3 1/2-length win Jan. 22 going 6 1/2 furlongs. Stretched out to one mile for the first time in Sunday's Lady of Shamrock S. at Santa Anita, the gray broke as the narrow 2-1 second choice behind eventual runner-up The Wild Grazer and showed good early speed to contest the tempo up front. Jockey Frankie Dettori,...