Horse Racing Capsules: Twirling Candy wins Del Mar Derby
DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Twirling Candy won for the fourth time in four career starts, beating Jairzihno by 3¼ lengths — and surviving a near-disqualification — Sunday in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, the 3-year-old winner ran 1 1-8 miles on the turf in 1:46.96, and paid $2.40, $2.20 and $2.10. Jairzihno returned $10 and $5.40, and Royal F J paid $4.80 to show.
Twirling Candy ducked out briefly on the backstretch before Rosario regained control and the stewards considered a disqualification, but let the results stand.
"He must have seen something inside him. All of the sudden he went outside," said Rosario, who won the Del Mar Derby for the second straight year. "Once I got him going back right he relaxed and just went on about it."
Trained by John Sadler for owner Jenny Craig, the 3-year-old son of 2003 Pacific Classic winner Candy Ride was coming off a win in Del Mar's opening-day Oceanside Stakes. He earned $180,000 Sunday to push his career total to $294,900.
The victory was likely the last easy win for Twirling Candy. Sadler plans to move him to the main track and run him against older horses, while his highly touted stablemate, Sidney's Candy, remains on the turf.
"He'll get better and better against better horses," Sadler said. "This is one of the best horses in the country."
Also Sunday, Sadler and Rosario combined on another heavy favorite, Switch, for a breakaway win in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes.
The 3-year-old filly Switch beat Hard Way Ten by 3¼ lengths, covering a mile on turf in 1:36.26 and paying $3.80, $2.80 and $2.40. Hard Way Ten return $15 and $8.60. Ellafitz was a neck back in third and paid $4.10 to show.
Rosario won a third race later in the day to pull into a tie with Rafael Bejarano in the Del Mar jockey standings with two days to go at the meeting.
R Heat Lightning wins Spinaway Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — R Heat Lightning and jockey Garrett Gomes took control late and went on to win by four lengths in Sunday's $250,000 Spinaway Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.
R Heat Lightning, one of four Spinaway starters trained by Todd Pletcher, ran seven furlongs in 1:25.29 for her second win in three starts and first Grade 1 title. She earned $150,000 for owner, the E. Paul Robsham Stables, and paid $10.40, $5.20 and $3.80.
Alienation, the runner-up, returned $5.40 and $4.30. Valid Passion, third of seven, paid $3.
Also at Saratoga on Sunday, Lethal Combination and rider Alan Garcia prevailed over Turf Melody in the final 50 yards to win the $100,000 Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds by a half-length on the turf.
The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Lethal Combination ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:53.18 and earned $60,000 for owner Namcook Stables. He paid $8.60, $4.50 and $2.90. Turf Melody paid $8.50 and $3.40. Fantastico Roberto, third of six, returned $2.80 to show.
Get Serious sets Monmouth Park turf record
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) — Get Serious broke his own turf course record in winning the $200,000 Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, beating Nownownow by a neck.
Ridden by Pablo Fragoso and trained by John Forbes, the 6-year old gelding covered the mile on the firm course in 1:32.37, besting the 1:32.70 mark he set in July 2009.
Sent off as the favorite in the field of six, Get Serious returned $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. Nownownow paid $3.40 and $2.40, while Boots Ahead was another 4½ lengths back in third and returned $2.80.
The win in the Grade 3 stakes was the 13th in 30 career starts for Get Serious, who has now earned $1,000,691. It also was his third graded-stakes win during the current meet at the Oceanport track.
