Gulfstream Park: Ginger Brew a pivotal race for Candy Kitty

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Candy Kitty ran arguably the best race of her career winning the Wait a While Stakes over a sloppy track here in her 2-year-old finale. But trainer Todd Pletcher will send the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid right back to the turf when she launches her 3-year-old campaign as the likely favorite in Sunday’s $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Candy Kitty rallied from off the pace to a convincing 3 1/2-length victory over Spring Again in the Wait a While, a race originally scheduled to be run on the grass. Candy Kitty had made her four previous starts on turf, two of which came in stakes races at Saratoga and Keeneland.

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“The Ginger Brew was the most logical spot for her, and I think this race will dictate what we do moving forward,” Pletcher said. “If she has a strong performance on the grass, maybe she’ll have some future in grass races. If not, then we might end up back on the dirt.”

Pletcher said he had no problem putting Candy Kitty on the main track in the Wait a While and wouldn’t even mind if the Ginger Brew came off the turf as well.

“The surprise to me was that it was a very powerful race,” Pletcher said of Candy Kitty’s performance in the Wait a While. “It was a step up for her, so it will be interesting to see if the step up was her own natural development or if it was the off track she likes, or what.”

Candy Kitty will break from the rail while facing 10 rivals going 1 1/16 miles in the Ginger Brew. Her stiffest competition could come from any of a handful of rivals, the most noteworthy of whom may be Stonetastic and Cool Faith.

Stonetastic will try turf for the first time after making all four of her 2-year-old starts on dirt. A daughter of Mizzen Mast, Stonetastic was graded stakes placed twice at 2, finishing second behind Untapable in the Grade 2 Pocahontas and third after leading through midstretch in the Grade 2 Golden Rod.

Cool Faith started just twice at 2, with both races coming at Woodbine. She won her debut against males before finishing second, beaten a nose by Matador, in the Cup and Saucer.

Spring Again will return to the turf trying to avenge her recent setback at the hands of Candy Kitty in the Wait a While. Trainer Wesley Ward will take the blinkers off Spring Again, who finished second, beaten a neck, last fall at Kentucky Downs in her only turf outing.

Miss Besilu, a $2.6 million yearling purchase by Medaglia d’Oro, won her grass debut, parlaying a slow pace into a 2 1/4-length wire-to-wire victory Dec. 7. Miss Besilu races on Lasix for the first time Sunday.

Completing the field are Street Sailing, Merry Merry Bee, Wicked Temper, Super Fantasy, Jerry Love, and Needmore Flattery.