By J.N. Campbell
Ready for Candy flashed a strong turn of foot when it mattered most down the lane to take the GII Sands Point Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday.
With a runner-up finish during her 2-year-old season in the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine, Ready for Candy ran third in the GIII Mazarine Stakes in Toronto last November. The dark bay, who was a $400,000 purchase during the Fasig-Tipton February Mixed sale, made the switch from Michael DePaulo to Philip Antonacci. The filly's conditioner watched as she went gate-to-wire versus maiden special weight company going nine furlongs over the Spa turf Aug. 17. Shipping down state, the 3-year-old won the GIII Winter Memories Stakes by a nose during the Belmont At The Big A meet Sept. 20.
Backed to the hilt at even-money here, Ready for Candy relaxed in third as the field was led into the first turn by Paradise City (McKiznie). On hold for much of the race, the chalk entered the lane ready to roll and inside the final furlong she tipped off the rail for some running room. Chased by Fast Market, Ready for Candy was up to the challenge and she outlasted her opponent to get the money.
“She's [Ready for Candy] a little tricky and you have to get along with her–she has her quirks,” said trainer Philip Antonacci. “But when it comes to the races, she's as professional as it comes and it allows the rider to do whatever he needs to do with her which makes her dangerous. She's eating everything up. You see a lot of fillies this time of year really become mares, and I think that's what is happening with her.”
On a potential start in the one-mile GIII Pebbles Stakes Nov. 16, the trainer said, “Either we come back in the Pebbles or maybe that might be it for her this year and shut her down for the winter and bring her back at Keeneland in the spring. These fillies–you can't run the tank empty. She owes us nothing this year–she had three straight wins. We'll get her home and if she's raring to go and wants to race some more we'll give it another shot, but we'll let her tell us.”
Pedigree Notes:
Twirling Candy (by Candy Ride {Arg}) deposits another graded win into his burgeoning account. With a long list of higher-level winners, his turf roster includes the likes of Ag Bullet, Concrete Rose, Iscreamuscream and Exaulted.
Enoree's last registered foal on record is current 2-year-old colt in-training Mister Blue (Maclean's Music). The winner's dam visited Essential Quality for next term.
Ready for Candy's second dam, Canadian MSW Woodsmoke (Langfuhr), produced GSW Grand Bili (City Zip) and the dam of Canadian SW Souper Sinclair (Souper Speedy). This is an extended female family which includes Canadian champion 3-year-old colt Woodcarver (Woodman).
Saturday, Belmont At The Big A
SANDS POINT S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-18, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.44, fm.
1–READY FOR CANDY, 120, f, 3, by Twirling Candy
http://www.fasigtipton.com1st Dam: Enoree (SP), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Woodsmoke, by Langfuhr
3rd Dam: Forest Flute, by Woodman
($70,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP; $62,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $60,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR; $400,000 3yo '25 FTKFEB). O-Lindy Farms; B-Mark Dodson (ON); T-Philip Antonacci; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 10-3-3-2, $368,421. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fast Market, 118, f, 3, Volatile–Betty Draper, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($210,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '24 OBSOPN). O-Hit The Bid Racing Stable; B-Breed First LLC (KY); T-John P. Terranova II. $40,000.
3–Pretty Picture, 118, f, 3, Munnings–Farofa, by Tiznow. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $24,000.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.19, 7.74, 7.76.
Also Ran: Boca Queen (Ire), Paradise City, Griselda (Fr), Decadent, Winfinity.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
READY FOR CANDY gets her third victory in a row with a win in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes under @RSantana_Jr for trainer @PhilAntonacci. pic.twitter.com/FFds1AzxoM
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) October 18, 2025
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