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Candy Man Rocket Passes Two-Turn Test, Leads Mott Exacta In Sam F. Davis

For a few fleeting seconds nearing the turn for home in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., it appeared pace-setter Boca Boy was about to pull away from his closest pursuer, Candy Man Rocket.

But Junior Alvarado, the jockey on Candy Man Rocket, wanted to wait a little longer to launch his move.

“I didn't really want to engage the horse up front (Boca Boy) or make any quick move too early. I just had to move a little bit, keep holding my position and wait as long as I could,” Alvarado said. “He doesn't have a real quick turn of foot, but he started grinding it out so I started picking it up and I was really pleased by the quarter pole turning for home.”

Then, when he requested more, Candy Man Rocket delivered.

“At the sixteenth pole when I switched my stick to the right hand and showed it to him to see what I had left, he put his head low and kept grinding his way there,” Alvarado said after posting a one-length victory over stablemate Nova Rags, ridden by Samy Camacho.

The Sam F. Davis was the centerpiece of a Festival Preview Day 41 Presented by Lambholm South card that set a Sam F. Davis Day handle record of $13,200,523, an increase of more than $2.1-million from last year. The total handle is the third-largest in track history. Three other stakes were contested, including two graded races on the turf, with total stakes purse money of $750,000.

Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and his father's assistant, had a good feeling Candy Man Rocket was going to earn the $120,000 Sam F. Davis winner's share when Alvarado turned him loose.

“He got into a real nice comfort zone down the backside and Junior let him out a notch going to the three-eighths-mile pole and at that point there wasn't a whole lot coming from behind,” the younger Mott said. “He hit the front a little bit early, which was concerning – he's still inexperienced and sometimes when they get to the front too early, they tend to wander – but Junior kept him to the task and he really ran on well and passed the two-turn test.”

Mott also saddled Nova Rags, who won the Pasco Stakes here on Jan. 16.

“He is a quality horse, and he sat a good trip too,” Mott said. “We weren't sure about the two turns, so to see him come back and pass the two-turn test and run so well to a good horse and his stablemate was pretty encouraging.”

Candy Man Rocket paid $8.20 to win as the second betting choice in the 12-horse field. His time for the mile-and-a-sixteenth on a fast dirt track was 1:44.30. He won by a length, with Nova Rags and Camacho holding on for second by a neck from Hidden Stash. Boca Boy finished fourth.

The top two were both racing around two turns for the first time.

Candy Man Rocket, a son of Candy Ride–Kenny Lane, by Forestry, is owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations. He is 2-for-3 in his career. The Sam F. Davis is a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points race, with Candy Man Rocket taking away the top award of 10 points.

The 1-2 finish by the Mott charges puts the Grade 2 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby squarely in their sights, although Riley Mott said the March 6 race might come up a little quick for Nova Rags. Regardless, having options is what it's all about for 3-year-olds at this stage of the year.

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Baffert 1-2 As Concert Tour Edges Freedom Fighter In San Vicente

Racing as a team the final quarter of a mile, a pair of talented Bob Baffert runners, heavily favored Concert Tour and Freedom Fighter, were separated by a half length at the finish of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Gary and Mary West's homebred Concert Tour got seven furlongs in 1:24.06 and stamped himself as an A-lister among Kentucky Derby hopefuls and provided Baffert with his record 11^th San Vicente win.

With Freedom Fighter and Drayden Van Dyke darting to the lead from the rail, Concert Tour, who broke from the outside in a field of five, was just one length off his stablemate and The Chosen Vron three furlongs out. The Chosen Vron, who had driven up the rail inside Freedom Fighter, dropped back a bit leaving the quarter pole and from that point it was all Baffert to the wire.

“Freedom Fighter just broke like a rocket ship, he's really fast and been doing really well,” said Baffert. “Rosario was trying to teach this horse how to rate a little bit and I thought they were going to get into a speed duel. I think it was a good race for both of them.

“I learned a lot about (Concert Tour), how he wants to run and maybe he doesn't need blinkers…Now we go to where I can stretch them out…I think from here you can take that big jump that you want to take, he's going to have to really step it up for now, but now he's ready for it.”

A 3 ½ length first-out maiden winner going six furlongs on Jan. 15, Concert Tour was off at 2-5 and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10.

“After the other horse (Freedom Fighter) went to the lead, I thought the two horse (The Chosen Vron) was going to go faster, but he took his time and I thought I was in a good spot,” said Rosario. “He was a little green and cut away a little bit at the last part when I took the lead. I thought it was a good race.”

By Street Sense, out of the Tapit mare Purse Strings, Concert Tour picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $156,600.

Freedom Fighter, who had been idle since breaking his maiden at first asking going five furlongs on Aug. 1, ran huge off the bench, finishing 2 ¾ lengths in front of The Chosen Vron. Off at 5-1, Freedom Fighter paid $3.60 and $2.20.

The Chosen Vron, who didn't appear to like being inside a quarter mile from home, kept to his task through the lane in a solid effort. Ridden by Mike Smith, he was off at 7-2 and paid $2.10 to show while finishing six lengths clear of Found My Ball.

Fractions on the race were 23.41, 45.98 and 1:10.56.

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Brown Eyes Wood Memorial After Withers Triumph By Risk Taking

Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking proved in his maiden score he could win going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack, and that success at two turns proved beneficial on Saturday when he overtook pacesetter Capo Kane in the final furlong and powered home a 3 3/4-length winner of the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers for 3-year-olds at the Big A in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Risk Taking, who finished off the board in splitting his first two starts between the main track and turf, again found a comfort zone going longer, capturing the 145th running of the Withers, a Grade 1 Kentucky Derby prep race awarding 10-4-2-1 points to the top-four finishers.

Jerome-winner Capo Kane broke well from post 3 and led the nine-horse field though the opening quarter-mile in 24.02 seconds, the half in 48.71 and three-quarters in 1:13.17 on the fast main track.

Risk Taking also broke alertly from post 5 under jockey Eric Cancel, settling in sixth position and content to let others do the heavy lifting. Out of the turn, Capo Kane, under jockey Dylan Davis, maintained the advantage with Eagle Orb putting in a bid from the rail. Capo Kane fended off that challenge, but Risk Taking showed the deep-closing skills that led to his win last out on December 14, easily taking command in the stretch with an outside charge, completing the course in 1:51.91.

Overtook rallied for second, with the Todd Pletcher trainee besting Capo Kane by 1 1/4 lengths for runner-up status and the four qualifying points.

Trainer Chad Brown added blinkers before Risk Taking's previous start, and the son of Medaglia d'Oro has improved to 2-for-2 with the equipment change.

“It really made a difference. He's a horse that always showed a lot in his morning drills as a 2-year-old and I was quite surprised that he didn't run better in his first two starts,” said Brown, who saw Counterparty Risk win the Grade 3 Endeavour at Tampa Bay Downs just minutes later for Klaravich Stables.

Risk Taking, the 9-5 favorite, returned $5.80 on a $2 win wager. Brown said the $240,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale could target the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct. That 1 1/8-mile contest is a 100-40-20-10 Derby qualifier.

“We'll nominate him to everything but my first reaction would be not to take him out of New York,” Brown said. “He's thriving there right now, so leave it be. I would not cut the horse back in distance from here to the Derby under any circumstances. The most logical spot would be to train him up to the Wood, but I won't make that decision until we observe the horse and I have a chance to over it with the owner, Seth Klarman.”

Cancel, aboard Risk Taking for the first time, netted his third career graded stakes victory and first at a NYRA track since piloting Smooth Daddy in the 2017 Grade 3 Fort Marcy.

“I thought they'd go a little quicker [up front] but the instructions were to sit patient on him and just give him a really confident ride,” Cancel said. “It worked out very well. Turning for home I knew I had a lot of horse it was just matter of having to ask him and once I did and he started going, I was very confident. I never had any doubt he was going to win the race as soon as we turned for home.”

Risk Taking ran seventh in his debut going six furlongs on October 10 over Belmont Park's Big Sandy. Following a sixth-place effort going 1 1/16 miles on the Aqueduct turf on November 14, Brown returned the Kentucky bred to the main track going two turns.

“In his debut, although the running line looks ugly, he did gallop out big,” Brown said. “It was my error to rush him onto the turf, I was looking for a distance race that didn't have much kick back, but it just didn't work out. So, we blinkered him up and he got his confidence under him and he really broke through in that maiden victory.”

The conditioner said his horse's maturity, along with Cancel's ride, was a key factor on Saturday.

“Eric Cancel really stepped up today and I'm really proud of him,” Brown said. “He's a rider who continues to improve and he's ridden some nice races for us in the past. Eric hasn't ridden many for us, but he's made them count. I couldn't be prouder of him for the trip he gave this horse from every pole. He used him a little for position early and staying out of trouble off the fence and showing some patience.”

Overtook, ridden by Manny Franco, earned black type in his first stakes start, moving to 1-1-1 in four career starts.

“I know he wants to be at the back, but I didn't want to be too far back and leave him with too much to do,” Franco said. “I thought the horse ran a good race. He's improving race by race, so he's done well. He's got a nice future. The distance is no problem for him. I think that more distance will be better for him.”

Capo Kane now has 12 Derby points following his New Year's Day victory in the Jerome.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard

“I hustled him out of there. I had to because there was that sprinter [Mr. Doda] outside of me, but then I was able to gain some control,” Davis said. “My horse got his nice stride going. He was breathing great for me and I really thought I was tough turning for home. He gave his heart out. He gave a hundred percent and he was very tired coming back. Eric engaged me and he had so much momentum turning for home, I didn't have a chance to keep up with him. He ran great. I thought he ran a great race going a mile and an eighth.”

Royal Number earned a single point for his fourth-place effort, with Eagle Orb, Civil War, Donegal Bay, Shackqueenking and Mr. Doda completing the order of finish.

Live racing at Aqueduct will continue on Monday, as the entirety of Sunday's live racing program was pushed back one day due a winter storm slated to impact the New York metropolitan area throughout the day on Sunday.Monday's card will be highlighted by the $100,000 Ruthless, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Carpenter: The Public Wants Change, Not Explanations, When It Comes To Racing Injuries

For racetrackers outside the state of California, the public uproar over the 2018-19 spate of racehorse deaths at Santa Anita probably feels like a memory. After all, in the time since then, many have been riding out constant financial uncertainty thanks to an ongoing global pandemic, and several states have faced threats to supplemental gaming or HHR income.

For racetrack practitioner and surgeon Dr. Ryan Carpenter though, the sea changes that started with mainstream media attention on Santa Anita haven't finished – and they probably won't anytime soon. Carpenter has been outspoken ever since about the ways he has seen the public focus improve racing for the better in California. At a recent virtual edition of the Tex Cauthen Seminar on racing safety, Carpenter continued to provide his thoughts on the interaction between the racing world and the world at large.

Carpenter was the first to admit he was skeptical of the initial changes the state and track ownership rolled out in response to the crisis — chiefly, backing up therapeutic drug administrations – but after seeing them in action, he believes they are making a real difference. The new requirement to have horses examined after workouts and races has been key in letting veterinarians get a look at horses in vulnerable moments when they're most likely to show signs of a brewing discomfort due to bone remodeling.

But although trade media acknowledged when Santa Anita's spike not only passed, but fatality rates decreased significantly, Carpenter pointed out the mainstream media did not view it the same way. He highlighted a recent Los Angeles Times editorial that concluded: “If track owners and trainers want to keep racing horses, then they need to keep them from dying in the process.”

“The reality is that every horse that sustains a fatal injury in Southern California is going to make the news, in one form or another,” he said. “It's talked about commonly on news outlets like NPR and it's going to be in the LA Times or the national news.”

Carpenter presented the results of a study undertaken by the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition to better understand the impact of the Santa Anita breakdowns on public opinion. Survey takers were asked about what they thought the future of racing should be before and after they read about the Santa Anita fatalities. They were asked to choose whether they believed racing should continue, continue with reform, or be banned outright. As other surveys have shown, a small group of survey takers wanted racing banned – 16% of respondents before they'd read about Santa Anita and 19% after reading about it. The most interesting change for Carpenter was that 57% said prior to learning about Santa Anita that racing should continue on with reforms, but the number jumped to 66% after they read about the breakdowns.

Most people (82%) said the industry's biggest priority should be better protection of the safety and well-being of horses. Another 46% wanted to see increased transparency and accountability for rulebreakers.

The survey also asked people to indicate whether they had a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of various sports, including professional football, basketball, soccer, and racing. The Triple Crown was viewed favorably by 46% of respondents, unfavorably by 24%, and 30% had never heard of the series or didn't know enough to form an opinion. The American horse racing industry generally was 37% favorable, 35% unfavorable, 27% undecided – roughly equal to boxing and not too far off from the rankings for the greyhound racing industry. Professional football, by contrast, had left a favorable impression with 60% of followers and an unfavorable one with just 28%.

Carpenter thought the latter statistic was interesting, given the heat professional football took for its treatment of concussions a few years ago. It would seem it has rebounded some of its public trust in the intervening years thanks to reform and good marketing.

One of the most disturbing findings for Carpenter was a question asking people who they trusted to help enforce safety rules in racing. Large animal veterinarians like himself ranked highest, getting trust from 70% of the audience. Animal rights groups including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ranked second, with 49% of respondents saying they trusted the group to help enforce safety rules in racing.

“We can't let PETA – who doesn't want to reform the way we do things, they want to eliminate the way we do things – be the trusted voice for people to go to,” he said.

Carpenter cited a bill sponsored by a California assemblyman who took input from the industry and from PETA when drafting the legislation.

“Unfortunately, he followed some of PETA's recommendations. This bill was passed and is currently the law of the land in California. Some of the things we're doing differently is because PETA was able to speak on our behalf. In all honesty, we can't let this happen. We as veterinarians have to be the ones to speak on our behalf, and on the behalf of the horse.”

What about the familiar refrain from many hardboots that we simply have to tell the outside world what a good job racing does at protecting its equine athletes?

“People often say to me, 'You know Ryan, we just have to educate them about what we're doing. Once they understand what we're doing, they'll understand why we're doing it,'” he said. “I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that by and large, that train has left the station. While I don't think education is bad, if you look at this graph and you look at the stat analysis, people aren't asking us to teach them what we're doing. They're asking us to do it differently by putting the horse's safety first. I think you can do that when you cultivate a cultural change in your industry and in your backstretch.”

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