HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Capt. Candyman Can held off favored Hello Broadway to win the $150,000 Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park on Friday, giving jockey Julien Leparoux four winners on the day.
The homebred son of Candy Ride, making his first start of the year, made the winning move on the last turn before drawing away to win by 1 1/2 lengths and put himself on the path toward one of the major Kentucky Derby prep races. Bee Cee Cee, a 35-1 shot, was a distant third.
In the co-featured $150,000 Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, favored Frolic's Dream was never threatened in winning by 2 1/2 lengths over Renda.
Capt. Candyman Can ran seven furlongs in 1:23.69 and paid $7.40, $3.80 and $2.80. Hello Broadway paid $3.40 and $2.60, while Bee Cee Cee paid $5.80 to show.
Trainer Ian Wilkes praised Leparoux's ride and said Capt. Candyman Can's next race will likely be the Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28, which would set him up for the $750,000 Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28.
``I was very happy the way Julien got him to relax,'' Wilkes said. ``I'll talk with the owners but I'm pretty sure the Fountain of Youth will be next.''
Capt. Candyman Can has won three of his five career races, all with Leparoux aboard, and already has winnings of $211,645. Owned by Joseph Rauch and David Zell, Capt. Candyman Can won the Grade 3 Iroquis at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old and was second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club.
Leparoux's other winners Friday were Classy Orientaton in the third, B R's Girl in the fourth and Brave Victory in the seventh.
Frolic's Dream, ridden by Jermaine Bridgmohan, covered seven furlongs in 1:24.15 and paid $5.00, $3.20 and $2.20. Renda, a 14-1 longshot, paid $8.80 and $3.80, while Dr. Zic paid $3.20 to show.
Frolic' Dream is within two noses of having a perfect record. She's won four of five starts with three stakes victories, her lone defeat in the Old Hat at Gulfstream last Jan. 4 when she finished third after hitting the gate at the start.
Gemswick Park, who won the Old Hat, finished next to last and 16 lengths behind Frolic's Dream in the Forward Gal.
Owned by Dare To Dream Farm, Frolic's Dream has earned $260,934.
