Candy Exchange vs. Awaken again in Kindergarten Stakes

Stablemates Candy Exchange and Awaken, who have established themselves as the top Ohio-bred 2-year-old colts of the summer, will take another crack at each other in the $75,000 Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes on Saturday at Thistledown.

Candy Exchange is unbeaten, having won his debut by 9 1/4 lengths on a sloppy track at Thistledown before taking the Hoover Stakes against statebreds by three lengths July 8 with another front-running performance. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 66 in his stakes debut, the best number in this field.

The next-best number in this group is the 62 posted by Awaken in his Thistledown debut, which he won by 6 1/2 lengths. He was then second to his stablemate in the Hoover, finishing 6 3/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field and earning a Beyer of 58.

Candy Exchange and Awaken are both trained by Tim Hamm and are co-bred and co-owned by his Blazing Meadows Farm and Eclipse Award-winning breeder WinStar Farm. Capehart Equine also co-owns Candy Exchange in the partnership.

Hamm, in partnership with Michael Friedman, also has Indian Fever in the Kindergarten. The colt was a four-length debut winner at Thistledown in July. The three colts will run as a coupled entry, with Pablo Morales, aboard Candy Exchange in the Hoover, retaining that mount; regular rider Irwin Rosendo keeping the call on Awaken; and Luis Colon picking up the mount on Indian Fever.

The maiden Tiz a Rush was third in the Hoover, recovering from a stumbling start to finish with interest for locally prominent trainer Jeffrey Radosevich. Little Blaker was a well-beaten seventh in that race. The maiden winner Charlee’s Magic and maidens Over Icce and Close Range complete the field.