Buy Me Candy finds sweet spot

ELMONT, N.Y. – For the second straight card, a New York-bred turf stakes failed to fill, first Sunday’s Kingston, at 1 1/16 miles, and then Thursday’s $75,000 Banrock, at six furlongs.

In place of the Banrock is an interesting first-level allowance turf race for 3-year-olds that highlights Thursday’s nine-race card at Belmont Park.

Except for the race’s timing, trainer Ignacio Correas found this spot suitable to ship Buy Me Candy in from Kentucky. A son of Candy Ride, Buy Me Candy is 1 for 4 and is coming off a solid second-place finish in this condition and at this distance on June 20 at Churchill Downs.

In that race, Buy Me Candy set a pressured pace, turned aside his pursuer, but couldn’t fend off the late-running Moon Over Miami.

“He took the lead because nobody wanted it,” Correas said. “He didn’t push him to go there. I would prefer to have him stalking the pace than be on the lead.”

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Correas said that while he’s not thrilled with running Buy Me Candy back in 19 days, the race is at nine furlongs against 3-year-olds, which suits Buy Me Candy.

“It’s the best spot I can find for him,” Correas said. “He’s training very well.”

Jose Lezcano rides Buy Me Candy from post 6 in the eight-horse field.

Contention appears to run deep in this field, with No Word, Shamrocket, and On Base likely to take the bulk of the action.

No Word, trained by Todd Pletcher, has twice finished third in this condition, first at mile on April 19 at Gulfstream and then at 1 1/4 miles on June 11 here. Though he saved all the ground in that June 11 race, he lacked running room until it was too late and finished behind 4-year-olds Value Engineering and Tide of the Sea.

“I thought he ran a good race considering it was against older last time, so hopefully [back with 3-year-olds] will be to his liking,” Pletcher said. “He’s versatile enough, if there’s not much pace he’s able to lay close. If there is, he’ll settle back.”

Jose Ortiz rides No Word from post 5.

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Shamrocket is coming off a 2 1/2-length maiden victory going 1 1/4 miles on June 12 at Belmont.

“I think he’s better a mile and a quarter than a mile and an eighth, but he’s training good – let’s go for it,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “He’s been breezing well. He won’t have to improve that much to be a nice horse going a mile and a quarter, mile and three-eighths. Just a mile and an eighth might be a touch short for him.”

On Base finished 10th in his debut Jan. 19 and then with blinkers added rebounded to take a maiden race March 1 at Tampa Bay Downs at Thursday’s distance of 1 1/8 miles.

Trainer Jonathan Thomas felt On Base was allowed to just “loaf along” in his debut but was encouraged by the way he finished in that race. The blinkers helped On Base get more involved early in his maiden win.

Javier Castellano rides from post 3.

Our Country, Assiduously, Will Sing for Wine, and Arithmetic complete the field.