Derby 146 - Will this be the year for Candy Ride ?

[Secretriat34]

Candy Ride’s ascension to one of North America’s leading sires has been steady since his debut at stud in 2005. His initial crop featured eventual Grade 1 winners Capt. Candyman Can, El Brujo, Evita Argentina, and Misremembered.

Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013 is his best performer.

As his foal population grew, Candy Ride entered the top 20 on the North American sire list by general progeny earnings in 2013 and achieved his best position yet in 2014 and 2015, ranking fifth each year.

Gun Runner, arguably 2nd in the older horse rankings for 2017, the fourth Derby starter for Candy Ride, following Candy Boy, Sidney’s Candy, and Chocolate Candy.

Gun Runner was Candy Ride’s best derby performer, finishing ITM (3rd) in 2016 (last year)
Chocolate Candy was his next best finisher, running fifth in the 2009 edition, and hailed from his first crop.
(Gun Runner next runs in 2 weeks in Dubai, to test Arroogate without medication at 10f.)

So that leads us to the San Filipe this weekend, 3-11-17, where 7 go to post to grab some derby starting points. And who do you think has a leading runner in the gate.

Candy Ride sends his latest version of go-fast colts to the gate with the blessings of the white haired hall of famer, Bob Baffert.

MASTERY , the undefeated 6 to 5 favorite will run under Mike Smith from post 4 to see who is the best in the west, and perhaps the best colt in 2017. The colts this year seem to run a good one, and then rest from injury. The list is quite long.

Mastery,a $425,000 purchase from the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2015, has already 3 wins to his credit which includes a win on the SA surface, and a win at the distance of the race 1-1/16 mile, Mastery should run a big race for Cheyenne Stable, and even a bigger race for Candy Ride, who has been knock-knock-knockin on the derby door 4 times already. Candy Ride may step into the starlight of greatness once again as a sire, not just as a former world record mile runner.

Gunnevera, (DP = 7-8-10-2-3) by Dialed In from Mineshaft seems to be the only real competition right now. Winner of the FOY, and second to Irish War Cry in the Holy Bull, Gunnevera has a royal pedigree and also should do very well this year on the road to Kentucky and thereafter.