Capt Candyman Can- 2009 Derby Contender

Capt Candyman Can

Pedigree: Candy Ride - Stormy Way (Storm Creek)

Owner: Rauch, Joseph and Zell, David

Trainer: Ian R. Wilkes

Winner of the GR. I Kings Bishop Stakes!

Winner of GRIII  Iroquois Stakes and GRII Hutcheson Stakes

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Capt Candyman Can wins Kings Bishop!
Capt. Candyman Can gained victory in the $300,000 King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 29 when the original winner Vineyard Haven was disqualified for drifting out into the path of his challenger in deep stretch on a sloppy Saratoga main track.

Ridden by Javier Castellano, the charging Capt. Candyman Can was poised to sweep past the front-running Vineyard Haven. But the latter veered out inside the eighth pole under left-handed urging by jockey Alan Garcia and bumped twice with Candyman Can nearing the wire. Vineyard Haven emerged victorious by a head in the seven-furlong race in a time of 1:22.35.

Vineyard Haven, who dueled along the inside with entrymate Everyday Heroes before taking command approaching mid-stretch, was quickly disqualified by stewards, however. He was placed second.

Munnings, the 9-5 favorite in the field of eight betting interests, finished a distant third, 4 3/4 lengths behind.

Racing under showery skies, Capt. Candyman Can was reserved off a swift pace (:22.19, :44.64) in the sloppy going. He angled out rounding the turn and was bidding while five wide at the quarter pole. He continued to close resolutely and threatened Vineyard Haven inside the furlong marker before being bumped off stride, but still fought all the way to the wire.

"(Garcia) came out (on Vineyard Haven) and he bumped twice into me and my horse," Castellano said. "He hit my horse right in the shoulder and caused him to lose his momentum and he still only got beat by a head. That’s what cost me the race today. Without the bump, (Capt. Candyman Can) would definitely have pulled away to win."

"Coming for home, (Vineyard Haven) was starting to get a little bit tired and came out at the end," Garcia said. "He overreacted when I was trying to bring him back to the inside.”

Munnings was stuck inside for the first half-mile and made a solid bid in the stretch for jockey John Velazquez before giving way in the trying conditions.

"He gave a good effort but he just didn’t like the track today,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Despite the Odds finished a half-length farther back in fourth and the field was spread out from there. Not for Silver, second choice Big Drama, Flat Bold, Everyday Heroes, and Prince Joshua completed the order.

Owned by Joseph Rauch and David Zell, Capt. Candyman Can came into the King's Bishop off a second-place finish behind Quality Road in Saratoga's Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 3. That was the Candy Ride gelding's first start in 2 1/2 months. He won the Bay Shore (gr. III) at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park's Hutcheson (gr. II) earlier this year.

"I think the stewards made the correct decision," said winning trainer Ian Wilkes. "I’ll take it any way I can get it. I’m going to enjoy today. Life is good right now.”

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of Godolphin's Vineyard Haven, was far from disappointed in his charge, who was making his first start since finishing fourth in the UAE 2000 Guineas (UAE-III) Feb. 12. Vineyard Haven was one of the top American 2-year-olds last year, winning both the Hopeful and Champagne stakes (both gr. I) in authoritative fashion.

“I’m very proud; I mean, he won the race, it’s just too bad it happened like it did," bins Suroor said. "It was just an accident. The jockey tried to keep him straight – he tried to pull him over two or three times. It’s just one of those things that happens in races. I’m happy he’s back and that he ran well.”

Capt. Candyman Can improved his lifetime record to 6-1-1 in 10 starts and earnings of $620,423 with the winning purse of $180,000. The bay was bred by Lantern Hill Farm, Rauch and Zell. He is out of Stormy Way, by Storm Creek.

The winner carried 121 pounds and paid $9.80, $4.50, and $3.30 while keying a $2 exacta worth $52. Vineyard Haven returned $5.80 and $3.40. Munnings was $2.60 to show

Capt Candyman Wins the GR II Hutcheson Stakes

Although six 3-year-olds went to post in the Jan. 30 $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) (VIDEO), in the end it turned out to be a two-horse race with Joseph Rauch and David Zell’s 3-year-old Capt. Candyman Can prevailing by 1 1/2 lengths over 2-1 favorite Hello Broadway at Gulfstream Park.

After breaking second, Capt. Candyman Can was eased back to the inside off the early pace of Hello Broadway, who was initially stalked by Rocketing Returns. Jockey Julien Leparoux swung Capt. Candyman Can to the outside near the quarter pole and powered to victory, getting the seven furlongs 1:23.96. Hello Broadway was easily second best, with 35-1 shot Bee Cee Cee getting up for third.

The victory marked the fourth of the afternoon for Leparoux as Capt. Candyman Can paid $7.40, $3.80 and $2.80 as third choice. Hello Broadway returned $3.40 and $2.60 and Bee Cee Cee was worth $5.80 to show. Salo Jak was fourth, followed by Rocketing Returns and 5-2 second choice Break Water Edison.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Capt. Candyman Can is a gelded son of Candy Ridewho was making his first start since a close-up third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29. Capt. Candyman Can has now won three of five lifetime starts, including the grade III Iroquois at Churchill last fall, and earned $211,645. He was bred in Kentucky by Lantern Hill Farm, Rauch, and Zell.

“He was very good today. I was able to back him off (at the rail) and take him to the outside,” Leparoux said. “It wasn’t a problem. I wanted to keep him in the clear from there. There were no excuses today.”

The rider said it was too soon to be projecting whether Capt. Candyman Can could be a contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). “A lot can happen between now and May. We still have a lot to do. The big difference today was he listened. His last race, he went to the front and wouldn’t listen. Today, he was good.”    

Capt Candyman Can raced in the Fountain of Youth, coming up short and finishing in 4th place.