Sweet spot for Honey Candy going three turns in Smith Handicap

According to trainer Robertino Diodoro, Honey Candy is doing better now than when she won the $54,000 Chariot Chaser Handicap at Northlands Park by 11 1/2 widening lengths May 23. If he’s right, Honey Candy is going to be extremely tough to handle when she tries three turns for the first time Friday in the $50,000 R. K. “Red” Smith Handicap at Northlands.

The one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies drew seven horses and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 6:30 p.m. Mountain.

Diodoro is confident that Honey Candy will handle her first try going a middle distance, and if she takes after a couple of her siblings, Teagues Fight and Speedy Gone Sally, she should thrive going long. Between the two multiple stakes winners, they won a total of 22 races, of which 12 were at a mile or longer.

“I wasn’t sure about her going long until she showed us she could rate at Turf Paradise,” said Diodoro. “She really matured over the winter, and now she seems happy to sit behind horses if she has to.”

In her romp in the Chariot Chaser, she sat just off Holiday Babe before taking complete control of the race on the stretch turn. With Rico Walcott aboard, she took a three-length lead over Holiday Babe into the stretch before running away from the overmatched field. Walcott retains the mount.

Shipping in from the eastern United States is Aviddiva, who is coming off an even effort in a first-level allowance race for fillies and mares going seven furlongs May 8 at Charles Town. In her best race, she finished second March 15 in the one-mile $100,000 Caesar’s Wish Stakes at Laurel Park.

Aviddiva will be making her first start for trainer Wally Pugh, who was pleased with her four-furlong move in 48.60 seconds June 11 at Northlands.

“She seems like a nice filly, and she handled the track well in her work,” said Pugh.

Trained by Rod Cone, Via Bendita rallied to win a $40,000 optional claimer June 7 at Northlands. In her only try at a middle distance, she finished second in a one-mile $8,000 maiden-claiming race March 29 at Golden Gate Fields.

Via Bendita should have an honest pace to run at with Holiday Babe and Aviddiva both having good speed.

Consecrate is the only horse with a win at the distance, that coming in a $75,000 maiden-claiming race at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert. She was bought privately after finishing last in a $40,000 optional claimer May 24. She will be making her first start for leading trainer Greg Tracy.