Steve Davidowitz's Robert B. Lewis Stakes analysis

Grade 2, $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, Feb. 8
(10 Kentucky Derby eligibility points to the winner, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)

This was an important mid-winter test for highly regarded, lightly raced prospects for the Santa Anita Derby on April 5 and possibly the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 3.

Candy Boy, who had finished second to 2-year-old champion Shared Belief in the 2013 CashCall Futurity Dec. 14, made an impressive 3-year-old debut in this race.

The strongly built son of Candy Ride, expertly trained by John Sadler and confidently ridden by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, scored a deceptively narrow half-length victory over a pair of highly rated Bob Baffert trainees, Chitu and Midnight Hawk.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Candy Boy may have enjoyed a perfect trip en route to a 1:41.83 clocking and a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, but there was more to the performance than a good speed figure.

For one thing, Candy Boy settled comfortably into a good position behind the speed without urging. For another, he remained relaxed until Stevens angled him out for his winning rally in the stretch to defeat a pair of promising colts who were running well. Finally, Candy Boy completed his performance with a strong sixteenth-mile burst of speed to take the measure of Chitu. Candy Boy then continued past the wire with a visually impressive gallop-out, as if longer distances should be within his scope.

Stevens was so impressed he called Candy Boy his “number one draft choice,” right now for the Kentucky Derby. “He didn’t even take a deep breath after the race,” Stevens added. “He’s a super talent.”

Diamond Bachelor set a brisk early pace as Chitu and El Nino Terrible were in close attendance around the first turn while a slightly overanxious Midnight Hawk and a relaxed Candy Boy were right behind them. On the backstretch, Midnight Hawk edged closer from fifth into third while widest as El Nino Terrible began an early retreat.

Chitu, making his first try around two turns, continued to apply pressure to Diamond Bachelor through a 46.80 half-mile while the undefeated Midnight Hawk pushed them both from the outside. Candy Boy continued under wraps, rating kindly in fourth all the way through the final turn.
Into the stretch, Chitu and Midnight Hawk began to edge away from Diamond Bachelor, with Chito emerging with a short lead. But neither colt could hold off Candy Boy after he was angled out to launch his winning move under Stevens’s left-handed whipping.

Because Chitu and Midnight Hawk were only making their third starts, they should benefit from their efforts. Yet, the jury is still out whether either wants a classic distance. Fourth-place finisher, Diamond Bachelor - very good on grass last year – will be one to watch when trainer Patrick Biancone puts him back on turf. The same should be true for David Hofmans’s Home Run Kitten, who made a brief move on the far turn in his first try on dirt after a pair of good turf sprints.

Next week:
Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby, 1 1/8 miles Golden Gate Fields, Feb. 15
Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn Park, Feb. 17