Sidney's Candy will shuttle to Argentina for stud duty

LEXINGTON, Ky. – WinStar Farm has sold what it called “a significant interest” in 2010 Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney’s Candy to Argentine-based Rubio B Stable, and the colt will shuttle to Argentina in 2012.

Rubio B Stable belongs to Ricardo Benedicto and his son Nicolas. The Benedictos also own Haras La Pasion, where Sidney’s Candy will shuttle during the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. Plans call for Sidney’s Candy, a 4-year-old son of Argentine-bred sire Candy Ride, to retire from racing after the 2011 U.S. racing season. Sidney’s Candy will begin his stud career at WinStar Farm in 2012 Northern Hemisphere season, which traditionally starts in February.

John Fulton and Antonio Bullrich helped broker the private deal between WinStar and the Benedictos.

WinStar Farm purchased Sidney’s Candy privately from Jenny Craig’s Craig Family Trust about three weeks ago. Craig bred the colt with her late husband, Sidney. Craig had had Sidney’s Candy in training on the West Coast with John Sadler, who had developed the colt into a top male handicap horse, but with the purchase WinStar moved him to Todd Pletcher on the East Coast.

Sidney’s Candy so far has won 6 of 13 races, including a 4 1/2-length win over eventual 3-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky in the Santa Anita Derby, as well as four other graded stakes. He has also set two Del Mar records, one over 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt in 1:02.71 and one over 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:39.52. He has earnings of $953,560.

As for the colt’s immediate plans, WinStar’s announcement said Pletcher plans to point Sidney’s Candy “for several marquee races” this year.

Sidney’s Candy is out of the Storm Cat mare Fair Exchange.