Ocasek | Horse Racing Free Tips

Second Chances: Candy Ride Colt a ‘Second-Half Horse’ for Spendthrift

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

A little racing experience may be, ahem, just what Ocasek (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}–Shananies Song, by Eltish) needed.

Carrying the name of Ric Ocasek, the late frontman for The Cars, the Spendthrift Farm colorbearer wasn't off to the sharpest of beginnings from his rail draw and was forced to steady in the early stages traveling 6 1/2 furlongs on debut for Chad Brown in the opener at the Big A last Sunday.

Pushed along by Dylan Davis while trailing the field of five through an opening quarter in :22.39, Ocasek hit the gas entering the far turn and was rolling while four wide approaching the quarter pole as well-meant firster Harrodsburg (Constitution) kicked for home in complete control.

Still racing on his left lead down the stretch, Ocasek finally switched over a furlong from home and finished up nicely in a field-best :31.82 to cut Harrodsburg's margin of victory to 2 1/4 lengths.

Ocasek, a $440,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, earned a rock solid 83 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“I think in the first start, mostly I just want to see them finishing strong,” Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey said.

“We never really thought he was gonna be a real early horse. It was very encouraging the way he ran on. Chad was very positive about what he saw and the numbers he ran.”

Toffey added, “With a little luck, he feels like he might be a nice second-half horse for us.”

Bred in Kentucky by Charles T. Matses, Ocasek's leading sire Candy Ride is responsible for 17 Grade I winners, including the brilliant Gun Runner.

Out of the stakes-winning and very productive Eltish mare Shananies Song, a homebred for Matses, Ocasek is a half-brother to Favorable Outcome (Flatter), GSW & MGISP, $522,818; Mouheeb (Flatter), GSW-UAE, $192,966; Bellamentary (Bellamy Road), SW & MGSP, $216,200; and last year's GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Beguine (Gun Runner).

What's next for the Triple Crown-nominated Ocasek?

“That's really more up to Chad,” Toffey replied. “We certainly feel like this horse is gonna be best going farther. He came out of the race well. Certainly, the plan will be to stretch him out, whether that happens in his next start or after that. We'll see how things go with him, but we're very encouraged so far.”

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Son Of Constitution Harrodsburg Blazes Road In Maiden Win

1st-Aqueduct, $77,600, Msw, 3-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:18.15, ft, 2 1/4 lengths.
HARRODSBURG (g, 3, Constitution–Gracer {MSW & GSP, $243,000}, by Exchange Rate), off a sharp work from the gate over at Belmont's training track Mar. 18 (.47, 1/123), vanned over to the 'Big A' for the real thing as the 3-1 third choice on the tote in this spot. Wrestling the lead away, the homebred sped down the backstretch, rounded the far turn in command by posting :45.86 for the first half-mile and extended his lead down the lane under a hand ride to win by 2 1/4 length over the late-charging Ocasek (Candy Ride {Arg}). The winner is a half-brother to Rome (Empire Maker), SW, $160,102. Sire Constitution's pairing with this dam also includes a 2-year-old colt named Revelation and she was bred back to him last year. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Farm (KY); T-Rob Atras.

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Sunday Insights: Brown Pair Debut With Candy Ride Connection

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m.
Trainer Chad Brown has Aqueduct's first race on closing day bookended with a pair of firsters from his shedrow in OCASEK (Candy Ride {Arg}), who draws the rail with Dylan Davis aboard and to the outside ARMY TIMES (Into Mischief) with Manny Franco in the irons. Both have a Candy Ride connection as the former, who was a $440,000 '21 FTSAUG purchase by Spendthrift Farm, was sired by him, while the latter's dam, MGSW & MGISP Paid Up Subscriber, claims the stud as her own.

Peter Brant' Army Times was bred by Joseph Allen, who incidently co-owned his dam and was conditioned by Brown and White Birch Farm. Pointing to this spot, Brant's bay colt put forward a bullet four-furlong work Mar. 10 in :47 (1/125). Stablemate Ocasek is not without merits, as his dam Shananies Song (Eltish) has turned out a diverse group of offspring in GSP Bellamentary (Bellamy Road) and a pair full-brothers by Flatter in GSW Favorable Outcome and GSW Mouheeb. TJCIS PPS

11th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, 4:50 p.m.
Out of Unicorn Girl, champion MGISW Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was a $95,000 Ylg KEESEP in 2019 and earned almost $3 million on the racetrack. Going for $600,000 at the Mixed KEENOV sale a year later, half-brother OCEAN CITY (American Pharoah) looks to continue that legacy in what will be his second start for Jackie's trainer Steve Asmussen at the Fair Grounds after a fourth place behind a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Bishop's Bay (Uncle Mo) and First Mission (Street Sense) Feb. 18 going six panels. Switching to the grass and ridden by James Graham from the rail, the Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith-owned bay colt was bred by J&J Stables and Carlo Vaccarezza. TJCIS PPS

12th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1/16mT, 6:10 p.m.
From the chute on Sunday, look for FLYLIKEABUTTERFLY (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) to debut for trainer Kent Sweezey from gate one with Angel Rodriguez aboard. She is out of a family that includes a pair of graded-stakes winners in Nayyir (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and Sky Hunter (GB) (Motivator {GB}). Drawing the eight hole with Javier Castellano in-town to ride is first timer for trainer Christophe Clement, MONEY BEETS (City of Light). She was a $575,000 '21 KEESEP buy and is out of stakes-winning mare Do the Dance (Discreet Cat), who counts Japanese MGSP Randonnee (Blame) as a half. TJCIS PPS

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