Santa Anita Handicap Winner Gift Box Sires First Winner

Lane’s End Farm’s grade 1-winning stallion Gift Box   was represented by his first winner May 25 as Candy Jan Delight won a MEX$75,400 maiden event in the second race at Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City.

In her second career start, Candy Jan Delight broke sharply from the inside post position and outdueled her challengers in the early stages. The 2-year-old filly drew away in the stretch, winning by 7 3/4 lengths and completing five furlongs in 1:02 3/5.

Bred by Burleson Farms and Dr. Richard Holder, Candy Jan Delight is out of the Afternoon Deelites mare Tasha’s Delight , a three-time winner who placed in the 2005 Natalma Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine as well as a trio of listed stakes.

Gift Box, a son of Twirling Candy  , was third in the 2015 Remsen Stakes (G2) at age 2 before competing against some of the best 3-year-olds in the country. In the 2016 Travers Stakes (G1), he finished fourth behind the likes of Hall of Famers Arrogate and Gun Runner  .

The gray/roan stallion blossomed as he got older, going 4-for-7 with two seconds in his 5- and 6-year-old seasons in 2018-19, including victories in the 2019 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and consecutive runnings of the San Antonio Stakes (G2). He also was runner-up by three-quarters of a length to Vino Rosso   in the 2019 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1).