TDN RISING STARS

March 23, 2012 - Santa Anita, Race 4, Msw, USD $56,000, 1m

Holy Candy, C, 2012, by Candy Ride (Arg)

1st Dam: Spooky Minister, by Deputy Minister
2nd Dam: Lunar Spook, by Silver Ghost
3rd Dam: Rafael Luna, by Idle Minds

Owner: Craig Stables & Donkey Island Racing LLC
Breeder: Craig Family Trust (KY)
Trainer: John W Sadler

Holy Candy was always accompanied by some buzz, causing him to go off favored in all three of his previous efforts, but the grey had come up a bit short in each of those much-anticipated tries. Bested a half-length when subsequently graded stakes-placed Empire Way (Empire Maker) earned the J "TDN Rising Star"J distinction at Hollywood Nov. 13, he was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by recent GIII Rebel S. winner Castaway (Street Sense) going 8 1/2 furlongs Jan. 21. Holy Candy was coming off a head defeat at the hands of GIII Sunland Derby entrant Stirred Up (Lemon Drop Kid) Mar. 3, and was off at 1-2 here. Loping along early behind loose-on-the-lead Eaton Hall (El Corredor), the heavy favorite swung wide in the lane and took a few strides to get going before unleashing a powerful late rally to blow by the front-runner and hand him a 3 1/2-length defeat. Holy Candy got his final quarter in :23.05, and put some 15 lengths on his competition during the gallop-out. "We've thought all along he was our best 3-year-old and it was nice to see him finish and gallop out the way he did today," said trainer John Sadler. "In his last couple of races, things have kind of worked against us. We caught a sealed track a couple races back and we've just felt that he needs to be able to make a quarter-mile run." In terms of a next spot, the conditioner said, "We'll look at some graded stakes, including the [Apr. 7 GI] Santa Anita Derby. We're definitely thinking about getting the [graded] earnings he'd need to run in the Kentucky Derby." Holy Candy is out of an unraced daughter of GI Ashland S. winner Lunar Spook (Silver Ghost). He is the middle of five full-brothers--5-year-old Holloween Candy, a $119,000 earner, is the only other one to race. Co-owner Donkey Island Racing is a partnership managed by Alex Solis, Jr. that includes New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Lifetime Record: 4-1-3-0, $65,000.