Candy Man Rocket was a no-show on the racetrack last month at Oaklawn Park, finishing last of 10 in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3).
A home game left the sprinter more composed and produced a more typical effort May 13. Racing at Belmont Park, where he has been stabled and has trained since he went from his winter base in South Florida to Arkansas for the Count Fleet, the 5-year-old son of Candy Ride responded by coming from just off the pace to defeat Twisted Ride by a length and a half.
Candy Man Rocket prevailed Saturday despite not being “great in saddling today—he was a little wound up,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. But once the horse began to warm up on the track, “he settled down,” Mott added.
“At least he showed up. The other day he just spit it out,” Mott said. “He can run, he’s just got to get the right trip.”
He got that trip Saturday in the six-furlong Runhappy, sitting just outside and behind favored Beren and Twisted Ride as they took turns on the lead through splits of :22.60 and :45.15. A length and a half off those two early, he advanced to take a short lead with a furlong remaining and gradually pulled clear. He stopped the clock with a final time of 1:09.33 under Junior Alvarado. He paid $7.40 to win.
“I had to nudge him along a little bit turning for home and he responded so well,” the rider said. “I thought he was traveling beautiful and he was just waiting for me. Right when we turned for home, I knew he was going to be there for me.”
The winner improved to 6-for-11 and advanced his earnings to $421,324 for owner Frank Fletcher Racing Operations. Three of those victories have come in stakes, with the two others coming in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship this winter and the 2021 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
Twisted Ride held off a closing Stage Left for the place, with the latter finishing a half-length farther back. Defending race winner Drafted ran fourth followed by Beren in fifth. Mr Phil was last of the six competitors.
Bred in Kentucky by Robert S. Evans, Candy Man Rocket is out of the Forestry mare Kenny Lane , who has three winners from seven foals to race. Her lone unraced foal is a yearling full sister to the Runhappy Stakes winner.
After twice going unsold as a weanling and yearling, Candy Man Rocket was a $250,000 purchase by his owner from the Six K’s Training & Sales consignment to the 2020 Ocala Breeders’ Sale Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.
Video: Runhappy S. (G3)
