ALBANY, Calif. (AP) -The colt Chocolate Candy ruled on Valentine's Day in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields Saturday.
Chocolate Candy completed the Grade 3, $200,000 race in 1:50.54 while recording his fourth victory in eight career starts. Ridden by Russell Baze and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Chocolate Candy paid $3.00 after securing his third stakes win.
Chocolate Candy provided Baze with his sixth triumph in the El Camino Real Derby, and Hollendorfer with his fifth win in the feature. The heavy 1-to-2 favorite in a field of six, Chocolate Candy held off Massone down the stretch to win northern California's top Kentucky Derby prep race by a half-length. Rendezvous finished a distant third.
Chocolate Candy moved up to vie for the lead with Axel Foley midway down the backstretch and entered the stretch with a clear lead after running away from Axel Foley on the far turn. Massone tried to rally inside of Chocolate Candy in the lane but came up short.
Hollendorfer, who operates stables in both northern and southern California, said Chocolate Candy will soon be shipped to his Santa Anita barn and make his next start at the Arcadia, Calif. track.
``We want to run in the Santa Anita Derby but we'll also look at the San Felipe Stakes,'' said Hollendorfer. ``There are different approaches to the Kentucky Derby, but I think the fitter the horse, the better his chance to win. A lot of people go in there with fewer races but most horses that do well have a foundation under them.''
The Grade 2, $200,000 San Felipe Stakes is a 1 1-16-mile race that will be run March 14. The Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby is a 1 1-8-mile contest that will be run April 4.
Chocolate Candy is owned by diet queen Jenny Craig, who bred the horse with her late husband, Sid. A Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride, Chocolate Candy earned $120,000 Saturday and has made $382,500 in his eight races.
The biggest disappointment in the El Camino Real Derby was Axel Foley, who finished a well-beaten fourth as the 5-to-2 second choice in the betting.
``We were going so comfortable the first part of it but when we hit the middle of the turn Chocolate Candy was gone and I was done,'' said Michael Baze. ``My horse was just empty. I don't know why but he didn't have it. Horses are like us in that they can have a bad day and I guess he had a bad day today.''
