CANDY RIDE COLT REMAINS UNBEATEN; SWITCH IS BEST IN TORREY PINES

(Edited Del Mar Thoroughbred Club report)

The Craig Family Trust’s brilliant Twirling Candy, sent postward the prohibitive 1-5 favorite on the basis of his perfect three-for-three racing record, came through as expected Sunday in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby  but only after a stewards’ inquiry pertaining to an incident leaving the clubhouse turn of the mile and one-eighth grass race.

Seemingly on cruise control while on an easy lead for jockey Joel Rosario, Twirling Candy bore out badly entering the backstretch, interfering with and carrying out 12-1 longshot Summer Movie, piloted by Victor Espinoza.

“He must have seen something inside him. All of a sudden he went outside. I did the best I could to get him back. I don’t think it (the swerving incident coming into the backstretch) caused that much trouble. I didn’t have any trouble with the saddle or the reins. He did it himself. I’ve worked him in the morning and he sometimes ducks away from things. He’s so talented. He’s such a good colt. Once I got him going back right he relaxed and just went on about it,” Rosario said.

Rosario was able to regain control of Twirling Candy who quickly asserted himself to continue on the lead. The talented son of Candy Ride led the way into the final straightaway and pulled away impressively to win by 3 1/4 lengths. His final time of 1:46.96 included a final furlong in a blazing :11.29 seconds.

Jairzihno, a 33-1 outsider under Patrick Valenzuela, was second, a half-length in front of Royal F J, with Fantastic Pick fourth in the field of six three-year-olds.

Summer Movie finished sixth and last, beaten almost twelve lengths.

“He took me way out. We almost went down. My horse crossed legs with him and I had to stop riding. I was lucky I didn’t go down. I think my horse might have gotten hurt. I hope he didn’t, but he might have,” Espinoza said.

After viewing videotape of the incident involving the winner and Summer Movie, the stewards ruled that the original result would stand.

Twirling Candy, trained by John Sadler, earned $180,000 with his fourth win, increasing his bankroll to $294,900. On opening day of the Del Mar season, he won the Oceanside Stakes. To his backers in a crowd of 17,805,  he paid $2.40, $2.20 and $2.10. Because of heavy wagering to show on the winner, there was a minus pool of $60,470.19.

“I think the stewards made the right call (on possible disqualification). He (Twirling Candy) was so much the best. It was only his fourth start and he’s big and headstrong. He’ll get better and better against better horses. This is one of the best horses in the country; he’s so gifted. He’s better when there are horses around him. When he’s by himself out there he does a lot of looking around. He’ll run in the Goodwood Stakes (at Oak Tree) and I think the pace on a synthetic surface will be better for him,” Sadler said.
 
Jairzihno returned $10 and $5.40, while Royal F J paid $4.80 to show.

The stakes win was the seventh of the meet for Rosario, the most by any rider at the session. He also won last year’s Del Mar Derby aboard Rendezvous. He now has 14  stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for Sadler and his second in the Del Mar Derby. He now has 36 stakes wins at Del Mar, tying him with Neil Drysdale for eighth place on the all-time list.

In supporting features Sunday, Zayat Stables’ Moon de French and jockey Martin Garcia led from start to finish to win the $79,475 Adoration Stakes, while Rosario picked up his second added-money success of the afternoon aboard a 9-10 favorite, highly-regarded Switch, in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for three-year-old fillies.

“She broke real well and I could have put her anywhere I wanted. The No. 1 (Ellafitz) went out there and wanted the lead, so I let her go and just sat in behind. When we turned for home, I asked her and she went. I love to ride horses like this. They just do it,” Rosario said.

Moon de French won by almost two lengths over Dance to My Tune, with Silver Swallow third in a field of seven older fillies and mares. Moon de French paid $14 after running the mile on the main track in 1:36.38.

Switch was a convincing 3 1/4-length victress in the Torrey Pines, as Hard Way Ten was second and Ellafitz third. Switch, also trained by Sadler, stepped the mile on the main track in 1:36.25 and returned $3.80.

“We didn’t want to run a mile and an eighth on the grass (Del Mar Oaks). We wanted to get her back on synthetic so that’s why we chose this race. She’s a nice filly. She beat Blind Luck in the Hollywood Oaks and that’s why we wanted to get her back on synthetic,” Sadler said.

Rosario won his third race of the day on Silent Soul in the ninth to move back into a tie with archrival Rafael Bejarano, who doubled, for the top spot in the jockey standings at 51 victories each with two days remaining of the 2010 meeting. Racing will be conducted Monday, Labor Day, with the first race at 2 p.m. The season will conclude Wednesday.