Saratoga: Sidney’s Candy back on dirt for Forego

Sidney’s Candy, who has won at distances from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, will make his next start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Forego Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga, his connections said Monday.

Sidney’s Candy will be making just his third career start on dirt in the Forego, having won the off-the-turf Sir Beaufort last Dec. 26 at a mile at Santa Anita and having finished 17th in the 2010 Kentucky Derby over a sloppy track.

Sidney’s Candy is coming off a victory in the Fourstardave Handicap on turf here July 31, his first start since being purchased by WinStar Farm and turned over to trainer Todd Pletcher. Following that race, both Elliott Walden, president of WinStar, and Pletcher talked about running the colt on dirt in either the Forego or the Woodward, run at 1 1/8 miles the same day.

“We just felt better about running him seven furlongs, we felt like with his natural speed it was the type of race he could go ahead and get in the flow with and hopefully do well,” Walden said.

Walden also mentioned that the Forego would serve as a better stepping-stone than the Woodward to a Breeders’ Cup race. Walden mentioned the Dirt Mile or the Mile on turf as a fall objective for Sidney’s Candy.

“He’s best at a mile,” Walden said. “I think the Forego would lead to one of those two races.”

Sidney’s Candy finished sixth, beaten three lengths by Goldikova, in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf.

The Forego field is expected to include Aikenite, Hamazing Destiny, Jackson Bend, Jersey Town, and Regal Ransom.

With Sidney’s Candy running in the Forego, Rule, also owned by WinStar and trained by Pletcher, will run in the Woodward.