Candied proves a treat in Alcibiades

The Todd Pletcher trainee was a promising debut winner at Saratoga, where her rallying victory in a six-furlong maiden suggested that she could handle the step up to 1 1/16 miles. But the bigger question was how Candied would stack up against two of the division’s elite, unbeaten Spinaway (G1) winner Brightwork and Pocahontas (G3) romper V V’s Dream. She gave a decisive answer to upstage the 1.48-1 favorite V V’s Dream and the 9-5 Brightwork.

Under a returning Luis Saez, Candied settled in fifth as the principals took up close stalking positions. Alys Beach, who was a late-running fourth in the Spinaway, changed tactics to show speed on the rail. Brightwork was perched in a monitoring second, and V V’s Dream crept nearer in third. Both challenged Alys Beach rounding the far turn, only to have Candied range up widest of all to make it a four-way tussle.

As they straightened for home, Brightwork was the first to fade. Alys Beach kept on determinedly, but couldn’t contain the closing Candied and V V’s Dream. Despite racing greenly on her left lead, Candied had too much momentum for V V’s Dream, and she outfinished the favorite by a length. The daughter of Candy Ride clocked 1:44.17 and returned $10.16 as the 4.08-1 third choice.

V V’s Dream was best of the rest by 5 3/4 lengths, adding five points to her 10 from the Pocahontas for a total of 15. Alys Beach salvaged third (three points) by a head from Shimmering Allure (two points), followed by Brightwork (one point), Crazy Cami, Alpine Princess, and the other Pletcher runner, Wine on Tap. Emery was scratched in favor of Saturday’s Frizette (G1) at Aqueduct.

Candied is now 2-for-2 with $415,800 in her account. 

Bred by Buck Pond Farm in Kentucky, Candied went to her current connections for $165,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling. The bay is out of the New York-bred stakes winner Toni Tools, by the Storm Cat stallion Roaring Fever. 

Candied is therefore bred on the key Candy Ride-Storm Cat cross that has furnished Horse of the Year Gun Runner and champion Shared Belief.