Twirling Candy

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...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo Racecourse. Sunday's G1 Japan Cup at headquarters figures to boil down to a battle between Equinox (Jpn) and Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island (Jpn). Click here for our preview: Saturday, November 25, 2023 5th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT...

8th-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 3:15p.m. ET Jumping from the middle of the field and carrying an expensive $650,000 KEESEP tag in addition to Irad Ortiz Jr. is CHP Racing's SPENDALOT (More Than Ready). The full-sister to MGSW & GISP Consumer Spending comes into this race with a consistent work tab for conditioner Chad Brown. Beneath her second dam Shaconage (El Prado {Ire}) is the dam of several Chilean Group and stakes runners including GSW & G1SP Jacare (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky) as well as GSP La Jardinera...

Quality Road (Elusive Quality), the sire of 17 stakes winners in 2023 including GI Preakness S. hero National Treasure, will stand the 2024 breeding season for $200,000, the same fee he commanded in 2023. The 17-year-old stallion, is responsible for an additional five winners at the graded level this season, including 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road, who makes his next appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 3. Accordingly, it has been a strong yearling sales season for Quality Road, who was represented at the...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Monday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Monday, October 9, 2023 1st-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($70k), Maiden, 2yo, 1400mT PIKARI (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Laudation, by Congrats) turned in a sound third-place effort on her Aug. 20 debut going nine furlongs from a terrible draw...

Twirling Good Time (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Celebrategoodtimes, by Harlan's Holiday), well-backed at 3-1 off a 12-1 morning-line quote while making her debut in a loaded maiden special weight at Churchill Downs Wednesday afternoon, graduated with honors to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' nod. Hung out wide in post 10, she wasn't off to the sharpest of beginnings but rushed up to force the issue from second through an opening quarter in :22.08. The Rigney Racing colorbearer took over with a flashy move while racing in hand beneath Rafael Bejarano approaching...

A colt by Twirling Candy broke clear of the pack when selling for $925,000 to Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud during an otherwise steadily consistent conclusion to the Book 4 section of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Tuesday in Lexington. Through both sessions of Book 4, Keeneland sold 606 yearlings for $46,078,000. The book average of $76,036 declined 5.0% from last year, while the median dipped 8.3% to $55,000. During last year's Book 4 section, 609 yearlings sold for $48,726,500. The section's average was $80,011 and the median...

She may not have been the longest shot on the board--that title fell to intent-on-the-lead pacesetter and 55-1 shot Sister Bridget (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB})--but Mertkan Kantarmaci's 29-1 trainee Evvie Jets (m, 5, Twirling Candy--Natchez Trace, by Consolidator) was still an afterthought in the public eye's at 29-1 behind a trio of Chad Brown entrants and one shipped stateside by Ireland's Joseph O'Brien in Saratoga's GII Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa S. Thursday. Longshot or not, Evvie Jets set the Spa lawn on its ear with a bold win up the...

Chuck Sonson and West Point, L.E.B., agent went to $1 million for Hip 140, a Twirling Candy colt out of Rehearsed (Tapit), the fourth seven-figure yearling to sell in the early stages of Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. Lane's End, who stands Twirling Candy, consigned the Feb. 12-foaled colt, a full-brother to SP Chasing Fireflies. The mare is a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot) from the extended family of champion Silken Cat (Storm Cat), dam of WinStar sire Speightstown. Lane's End's W.S....

Back in early 2022 when John and Diane Fradkin announced that their homebred GI Preakness winner Rombauer (Twirling Candy) was being retired after suffering a soft tissue injury they went to work to find him his new home. The horse has a good pedigree and is a Grade I winner, so the expectations were that he'd stand at stud in Kentucky. Regional markets were also considered. Another option was Japan. But no matter where their horse might land, the Fradkins decided that Rombauer's racing career was over. That was the...

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...