Cocked and Loaded, Candy My Boy try turf in Arlington Classic
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – A couple 3-year-olds who at least wandered around the margins of the Triple Crown trail, Cocked and Loaded and Candy My Boy, will take their talents to turf Saturday in the Grade 3 Arlington Classic, which shares top billing on the Saturday card here with the Grade 3 Matron Stakes.
The Classic, for 3-year-olds on turf, drew 12 entrants, while the Matron, for older females at nine furlongs on Polytrack, got 11, and both look like decent better races. There is, however, rain in the local forecast throughout the end of this week and the weekend, and the Classic could wind up being run on soft turf or even transferred to Polytrack.
Cocked and Loaded, on the strength of a win in the Grade 3 Iroquois and a close fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, made the early Kentucky Derby future pool wager, but he has yet to show progress from age 2 to 3. He was a distant third to the talented Unified in the Grade 3 Bay Shore to start his season, but could only finish 13th in the Pat Day Mile on Derby Day at Churchill.
Candy My Boy actually beat the good colt Forevamo in a Fair Grounds allowance race before setting the pace and holding fourth in the Risen Star Stakes. Most recently he tired to sixth in the Louisiana Derby, and will likely be found setting the pace Saturday.
Surgical Strike could wind up favored after finishing third May 7 in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs. He’ll race with blinkers added in the Classic but has won just once in seven turf starts.
Among the eight others, Tequila Joe, a three-length Keeneland turf allowance winner last out, figures to be competitive.
The Matron field includes the still-promising 4-year-old filly No Fault of Mine, who won a third-level Keeneland allowance race on turf last out, and is 2 for 2 on Arlington Polytrack. Also entered is Brooklynsway, who won the Doubledogdare on dirt at Keeneland this spring; the multiple stakes winner Flipcup; and the talented Indiana-bred Lady Fog Horn, who has won nine of 16 races.