DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - Twirling Candy won for the fourth time in four career starts, beating Jairzihno by 3 1/4 lengths - and surviving a near-disqualification - Sunday in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, the 3-year-old winner ran 1 1-8 miles on the turf in 1:46.96, and paid $2.40, $2.20 and $2.10. Jairzihno returned $10 and $5.40, and Royal F J paid $4.80 to show.
Twirling Candy ducked out briefly on the backstretch before Rosario regained control and the stewards considered a disqualification, but let the results stand.
``He must have seen something inside him. All of the sudden he went outside,'' said Rosario, who won the Del Mar Derby for the second straight year. ``Once I got him going back right he relaxed and just went on about it.''
Trained by John Sadler for owner Jenny Craig, the 3-year-old son of 2003 Pacific Classic winner Candy Ride was coming off a win in Del Mar's opening-day Oceanside Stakes. He earned $180,000 Sunday to push his career total to $294,900.
The victory was likely the last easy win for Twirling Candy. Sadler plans to move him to the main track and run him against older horses, while his highly touted stablemate, Sidney's Candy, remains on the turf.
``He'll get better and better against better horses,'' Sadler said. ``This is one of the best horses in the country.''
Also Sunday, Sadler and Rosario combined on another heavy favorite, Switch, for a breakaway win in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes.
The 3-year-old filly Switch beat Hard Way Ten by 3 1/4 lengths, covering a mile on turf in 1:36.26 and paying $3.80, $2.80 and $2.40. Hard Way Ten return $15 and $8.60. Ellafitz was a neck back in third and paid $4.10 to show.
Rosario won a third race later in the day to pull into a tie with Rafael Bejarano in the Del Mar jockey standings with two days to go at the meeting.
