Ready for Candy's Winter Memories Win Extra Sweet
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Ready for Candy (inside) holds off Paradise City to win the Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
It was a day of firsts Sept. 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The gutsy Twirling Candy filly Ready for Candy went from last-out winner to graded stakes heroine in the $175,000 Winter Memories Stakes (G3T) and in the process, provided her trainer, Lindy Farms' Philip Antonacci, with the first black-type victory of his burgeoning career.
Ready for Candy was no slouch in her native Canada racing as a 2-year-old at Woodbine. The Ontario-bred had placed in stakes company three times before dropping the hammer for $400,000 to West Bloodstock at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale at the start of her 3-year-old year. Embarking on a United States campaign for Lindy Farms and Antonacci, the filly made a serious statement at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 17 in her debut for her new barn, romping by 7 3/4 lengths in a 1 1/8-mile turf maiden special weight.
With the scratch of Opulent Restraint , May Day Ready broke from the inside post but did not go to the lead as she had in her recent Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) victory. Instead, jockey Frankie Dettori attempted to settle the even-money favorite, but his efforts proved futile when the filly dragged him into a stalking second with an erratic wide run into the first turn. Ready for Candy, meanwhile, was positioned just behind the favorite under rider Ricardo Santana Jr. as race leader Scarlet Sands led the charge through early fractions of :23.45 and :47.82.
"You can handicap all you want before the race but when those gates open, anything can happen," Antonacci said. "Us and May Day Ready both broke a little slow and you had outside speed going—May Day Ready kind of took off and I think Ricardo was patient with her (Ready for Candy) and luckily it set up well."
When May Day Ready advanced around the final turn, Santana and Ready for Candy followed in pursuit, circling three wide into the stretch. Past the quarter pole, Ready for Candy surged right on by the heavy favorite with little issue, opening up 1 1/2 lengths down the lane before outlasting a furiously closing Paradise City by a nose under the wire.
"She's tough, she's game," Antonacci said. "You've got to let her do what she wants to do and don't fight her, but she'll put her heart out there for you. It's nice to see."
Ready for Candy ($7.36) completed the mile on a firm turf course in 1:35.29.
Paradise City, runner-up in her turf debut for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., was two lengths clear of Decadent in third.
Bred by Mark Dodson, 3-year-old Ready for Candy is one of three winners produced by her dam, the More Than Ready mare Enoree . She became the third stakes winner and second graded stakes winner in September for her sire, Lane's End stallion Twirling Candy, who had climbed to fourth on the general sires list before Saturday's races.