CHOCOLATE CANDY DRILLS IN 1:00 2/5 FOR BREEDERS’ CUP
Chocolate Candy, who will try to give trainer Jerry Hollendorfer an upset victory in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 handily Wednesday morning at Santa Anita.
The Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be held Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita. Golden Gate Fields will simulcast all the action both days.
The Dirt Mile, which will be run on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride synthetic racing surface, attracted a field of 10. Chocolate Candy is the sixth choice on the morning line at odds of 15-to-1.
Hollendorfer and Dan Ward, his assistant trainer in Southern California, were both pleased with Chocolate Candy’s work.
“He started off a little slow, like he was supposed to, and then finished very strong,” said Hollendorfer.
“He sure looks like he’s ready to run his best race ever,” said Ward. “I don’t know exactly where that puts him with the rest of the field, but it’s the best we can do.”
Jockey Joel Rosario put Chocolate Candy through his workout and he’ll be aboard the 3-year-old colt in the Dirt Mile.
Breeders’ Cup action will begin Friday for Hollendorfer, who will saddle 3-to-1 morning-line favorite Blind Luck in the $2 million Grey Goose Juvenile Fillies. Tyler Baze will ride Blind Luck, who is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes.
Golden Gate Fields has scheduled early gate openings and special post times Friday and Saturday to accommodate the simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup races.
Friday, grandstand and club house gates will open at 9 a.m.; the Turf Club at 10 a.m. Post time at Santa Anita is 11:15 a.m. and the first Breeders’ Cup race will be run at 12:35 p.m. Golden Gate Fields will present its first race at 12:10 p.m.
Saturday, all gates open at 9 a.m. The first race at Santa Anita will be run at
10:05 a.m., and the first Breeders’ Cup race at 10:45 a.m. First post at Golden Gate Fields is 10:25 a.m.