Candip champing at bit to run in Mr. Prospector

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Michael Tomlinson was not concerned when the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector was postponed Monday because of a lack of entries. But should the Grade 3 event not fill a second time when it is brought back for Sunday, then Tomlinson may find himself with bit of a problem.

Tomlinson is pointing Candip to the Mr. Prospector and said the more time between races, the better for the horse. But only up to a point.

“If the race doesn’t go again – and at this point, it’s debatable – then we’ll have to hope they put up an allowance race he’s eligible for since he’s doing well and needs to run,” Tomlinson said Wednesday. “With all the pluses about being in Florida for the winter, the one minus is that you’re kind of down here in no-man’s land and pretty much stuck if the races you need don’t go.”

Candip has been a great acquisition for Tomlinson, who has won five races with the son of Candy Ride, including a pair of stakes, since claiming him for a bargain $32,000 at Churchill Downs during the spring of 2015. Candip also finished second behind the odds-on X Y Jet here last winter in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint.

“He was a very nervous horse,” said Tomlinson. “He used to go out to the racetrack and just tremble and shake when we got him, so we changed his training routine, and he’s really responded. We spend a lot of time just standing and playing with our horses in the morning. And we send them all to the track with a stable pony, and that’s really relaxed him. It was more a mental thing with him than anything else, and he’s really on top of his game right now. I know we’re going to catch X Y Jet again if this race goes, and I’m looking forward to trying him one more time.”

Candip has not raced since winning the Fabulous Strike at Penn National on Nov. 23.

Tomlinson was based regularly at Oaklawn Park during the winter before opting to try south Florida for the first time five years ago. His biggest win at Oaklawn came when he upset the 2003 Arkansas Derby at 55-1 with Sir Cherokee.

“I started off splitting my stable when first coming down to Gulfstream five years ago,” he said. “I’ve got 32 horses here now, and switching to south Florida has been a good move for us.”

Tomlinson’s most notable accomplishment in Florida came in 2015, when Barbados captured the Grade 3 Hutcheson here. Barbados also won the Spectacular Bid and was second later that summer in the Grade 3 Carry Back. Barbados was retired earlier this season.

“We’re in the process of negotiating and feeling out our options regarding where Barbados will stand stud next season,” said Tomlinson.

Tyler Gaffalione was aboard Candip for an allowance win here last winter as well as his second-place finish in the Gulfstream Sprint and will have the mount in the Mr. Prospector. Entries for the race were to be taken Thursday.