CANDY
RIDE: Just call him Mr. 123
By DICK JERARDI
PHILADELPHIA - Without getting into
the decision, we here at Beyer Control
are saddened by the end of Candy
Ride's season. When you compute
thousands of Beyer figures each
year, you get a certain tingle when
a horse hits the high end of the
scale. And you want see that horse
run again and again and again.
Candy
Ride earned a 123 in the Pacific
Classic. The key word is "earned."
It is the best Beyer of 2003 at
any distance on any surface. And
it is, despite what those who are
not of the Beyer world may suggest,
completely legitimate.
There
was some discussion about the legitimacy
of the 110 that Ten Most Wanted
earned in the Illinois Derby back
in the spring. That discussion ended
long ago.
"People
always have the right to say, is
this figure accurate, because there
are a lot of cases where we are
not sure,'' Andrew Beyer said. "You've
got to look at the whole picture
instead of just a pre-conceived
notion about one horse.''
And
that, frankly, is where many people,
with just a rudimentary understanding
of how Beyers are made, go off on
the wrong path.
The
Pacific Classic was run at 1 1/4
miles, hardly everyday fare at Del
Mar or anywhere else.
"Seldom-run
distances do create a problem,''
Beyer admitted.
It
was, however, just one race among
eight dirt races on Aug. 24. And
it was scrutinized in the context
of all those other races. It was
not just judged by itself.
We
make a day's variant based on all
the day's races. Then, and only
then, do we decide how fast or slow
the surface that day was. After
looking at all the data on Pacific
Classic Day, the surface was judged
to be 19 Beyer points faster than
normal. Thus, 19 Beyer points were
subtracted from all the raw times.
Master
Perfect won the first race. His
previous three Beyers were 78-76-74.
He got a 76. He won his next race
and got a 79.
Minister
Eric won the second race and got
an 84. He got an 81 in his next
start. Odds On was second with an
81. He won his next start with an
86.
Boss
Ego was second by a nose in the
eighth race. He got a 91. He won
his next start with another 91.
All
days should fit so nicely. The variant
seemed obvious when it was made.
What has happened since has only
confirmed the obvious.
As
for the Pacific Classic itself,
the time alone suggested something
special. All of us know that 1:59.11
is serious business. The margins
told the rest of the story.
Candy
Ride beat Medaglia d'Oro by 3 1/4
lengths. Medaglia's last five Beyers
were 114-111-119-103-113. Clearly,
the horse was capable of earning
the 118 he got in the Pacific Classic.
If he was really off his best form,
as some may suggest, why did he
beat third-place Fleetstreet Dancer
by seven lengths?
Fleetstreet
Dancer's last five Beyers were 104-98-106-110-105.
Obviously, that was a horse who
could run a 108. And that's what
he got in the Pacific Classic.
Milwaukee
Brew, who was fourth, got a 103
in his comeback race at Monmouth
Park. He got a 104 at Del Mar.
Which
leaves only one obvious question.
How did Candy Ride go from a 111
on dirt and 107 on grass to a 123?
That
is the part of the equation that
those of us at Beyer Control can't
answer. All we can do is look at
the data and try to interpret it
impartially.
In
this case, the data was unequivocal.
Candy Ride is a freak. Was it just
one freak performance? Or was this
horse about to enter that rare Beyer
dimension and stay there?
That,
too, is something we can't answer
- yet. But we will be waiting eagerly
for 2004 and the return of Candy
Ride, known forevermore as 123
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CANDY
RIDE FAVORED IN BREEDER'S CUP
FUTURE BET
Off
his rousing victory over Medaglia
d’Oro in the Pacific Classic (G1)
on August 24, undefeated Candy Ride
(Arg) was selected by bettors in
Period Two of the Breeders’ Cup
Future Bet as the 7-to-2 favorite
to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic
(G1).
Multiple Grade 1
winner Mineshaft, who finished
as the 5-to-1 second choice in
Period One of the Future Bet,
again was selected as the second
choice at 9-to-2 in Period Two
which wrapped up on Monday. Belmont
Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker
is the Period Two third pick at
6-to-1.
Each of the four races offered
in Period Two included 23 horses
plus one field entry of all horses
not listed as an individual betting
option for each respective pool.
Each period of the Future Bet
offers a unique pool, with odds
locked in after wagering concludes.
Reigning Horse of
the Year Azeri boasts the lowest
odds of any of the Period Two
Future Bet horses as she was made
the 9-to-5 favorite to repeat
her victory in the Breeders’ Cup
Distaff (G1). The daughter of
Jade Hunter is 50-to-1 to win
the Classic.
Fresh off his 4
¾-length victory in Sunday’s Forego
Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race
Course, Aldebaran was bet down
to 5-to-1 to win the Breeders’
Cup Sprint (G1). Beau’s Town is
the second choice at 6-to-1.
Champion turf male
High Chaparral (Ire) and Storming
Home (GB), who was disqualified
from his win in the Arlington
Million (G1), are the Period Two
co-favorites for the Breeders’
Cup Turf (G1), each at 6-to-1.
High Chaparral captured the Royal
Whip Stakes (Ire-G2) on August
10 in his first start since winning
last season’s Turf on his way
to year-end honors.
In Period One of
the Future Bet, Empire Maker finished
as the 7-to-2 favorite in the
Classic while bettors made Azeri
the 3-to-1 choice in the Distaff.
The final betting period, which
will run from September 19-21,
will offer wagering on the Breeders’
Cup Juvenile (G1), Juvenile Fillies
(G1), Mile (G1), and Filly and
Mare Turf (G1).
CANDY
RIDE LICKS MEDAGLIA IN PACIFIC CLASSIC
By
Jack Shinar
Candy
Ride, the undefeated Argentine colt
ridden by Julie Krone, turned in
a sizzling performance while romping
to a 3 1/4-length victory in the
$1 million Pacific Classic (gr.
I), setting a track record Sunday
at Del Mar.
The
40-year-old Krone, subbing for the
injured Gary Stevens, became the
first female jockey to win a $1
million race in the United States.
The final
time was 1:59.11 for the 1 1/4-mile
Pacific Classic, breaking the record
of 1:59 .55 set in the 1993 Pacific
Classic by Bertrando. Pacesetting
Medaglia d'Oro, the 3-5 public choice
ridden by Jerry Bailey, was second,
finishing seven lengths ahead of
24-1 shot Fleetstreet Dancer. Milwaukee
Brew, who ranged into contention
on the far turn, faded to finish
fourth and last.
The
bubbly Krone, who returned from
a broken back earlier this summer
and is battling Patrick Valenzuela
for the Del Mar riding title, was
beside herself afterward. "Amazing.
Unbelievable. You just can't measure
something like this. There is not
a way to put a scale on it. It is
the sweetest. I feel like I can
fly. After this, I can do anything.
"How
good a horse is he? Wow! That's
how good a horse he is. Amazing.
He is a rocketship. I still can't
believe this is real. Pulling up,
I asked the pony rider to pinch
me. I asked the clerk of scales
if this was really happening. "I've
got to thank Gary (Stevens). He
was a big part of this today. He
shared his knowledge of this horse
with me, told me about some of his
idiosyncrasies. He shares in this
win. "I've
had some wonderful things happen
to me in racing, but this ... wow!
Tell me, is this really real?"
In
the stretch, Bailey said he knew
he was in too deep. "Basically,
we were second best today," he said.
"Everybody wanted to find out just
how good (McAnally's) horse was.
Well, we found out. He's pretty
damn good. "My
horse was going along easy. He was
doing it on his own. I never asked
him to run at all until we hit the
far turn. When Candy Ride came to
me and then went on by, I just called
out to Julie: 'Go get 'em girl.'
They were best. My horse ran a good
race, but we got beat."
Owned
by Sid and Jenny Craig, Del Mar
residents who have long wanted to
win this race, the 4-year-old Candy
Ride is trained by Ron McAnally.
Since he isn't nominated, the Craigs,
who paid $900,000 for Candy Ride,
would have to supplement him to
the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)
for a reported $800,000. The Breeders'
Cup is at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.
McAnally,
Del Mar's all-time leading conditioner
picked Candy Ride out of Argentina
for the Craigs in January after
the bay son of Ride the Rails had
won his first three races, including
two group ones, by a combined 28
lengths. He has won three races
in the U.S. as well.
Medaglia
d'Oro was making his first start
at Del Mar after shipping to California
from Saratoga for trainer Bobby
Frankel, who has won six previous
Pacific Classics. Undefeated
this year, Medaglia d'Oro went to
the lead for Bailey as Candy Ride
had the ground break away under
him at the start. Candy Ride quickly
recovered, but Medaglia d'Oro opened
a one-length lead on the backstretch
after going :23 2/5 for the opening
quarter mile. :46 4/5 for the half
and 1:10 4/5 for six furlongs. Approaching
the final turn, all four horses
moved into contention as four lengths
covered the field, but the two favorites
soon burst away from the rest of
the field.
Continuing
to increase the pressure on Medaglia'd
Oro into the stretch, Candy Ride
edged to the lead near the top of
the lane. He took command near the
eighth pole and drew away from the
tiring favorite.
Candy
Ride was coming off of a win by
three quarters of a length over
Special Ring in the American Handicap
(gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 mile on the Hollywood
Park turf on Independence Day. He
had turned in a series of five torrid
works prior to Sunday's race.
"Most
of the good horses I've had give
you a lot in the morning and this
horse is like that," McAnally said.
"I felt I could get out of him in
the mornings whatever I needed to.
I wasn't worried that I didn't have
a race close to this one. I knew
he was giving me what he had in
the morning.
McAnally,
who has 404 career wins at Del Mar,
won his first Pacific Classic with
his ninth starter in the 13-year-old
race.
"I
discussed the race with Julie this
morning because I knew there would
be a lot of people here and it would
be hard to do before the race. I
told her that I had watched Jerry
Bailey in a lot of races and his
style was either to go to the lead
or take back a bit and come around
on the outside. I told Julie if
he went to lead to let him go, but
not to let him get too far away.
It worked out just that way.
"I'm
so happy to win this race for these
people, the Craigs. They have given
so much to this sport and they certainly
deserve this kind of win."
Stevens
was in the winner's circle to congratulate
Krone and the rest of Candy Ride's
winning connections.
Candy
Ride, who is from the dam Candy
Girl, by Candy Stripes, earned $600,000
to improve his career bankroll to
$749,145. Sent
off at 2-1, the winner paid $6.40
and $2.80. Medaglia d'Oro returned
$2.20. The $2 exacta was worth $12.40.
Sunday's
attendance of 30,458 was third
largest in Pacific Classic history.
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Craig
purchases Argentine standout CANDY
RIDE
By
Thoroughbred Times
Undefeated
Candy Ride, most likely to be voted
Argentina’s 2002 champion miler,
will continue his campaign in the
United States after North American
owner Sidney Craig reportedly purchased
him for a sum of nearly $1-million.
The Argentine-bred son of the Cryptoclearance
stallion Ride the Rails has won
all three of his career starts by
a combined 28 lengths and will be
trained in Southern California by
Ron McAnally. The Racing Hall of
Fame trainer conditioned Paseana
(Arg), champion older mare in 1992
and ’93, who was acquired and campaigned
by Craig.
Earlier
in the week, McAnally had been on
hand in Argentina to observe Candy
Ride's final workout before his
scheduled start in the Saturday's
Gran Premio Miguel A. Martinez de
Hoz (Arg-G1) from which he was scratched.
Candy
Ride broke his maiden by 12 lengths
over the Palermo dirt course and
later exceeded expectations by winning
comfortably the Gran Premio San
Isidro (Arg-G1) on October 12 and
Joaquin S. de Anchorena (Arg-G1)
at the same track on December 14,
each by eight lengths, while covering
the mile in 1:31.01 and 1:32.16,
respectively.
Bred
by Haras Abolengo, Candy Ride is
out of the unraced Candy Stripes
mare Candy Girl, a full sister to
Argentine classic winner City West
(Arg).—Michael Burns and Diego Mitagstein
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