Taste Like Candy eyes first stakes win with Friday's Santa Paula

Taste Like Candy has been a cut below the top 2- and 3-year-old fillies in Southern California in the last five months. While she has yet to win a stakes, Taste Like Candy’s performances in top races will make her the favorite to win Friday’s $75,000 Santa Paula Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita.

Taste Like Candy has faced the best on the circuit. She was second in both the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet in December and the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes in January and fourth in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in February.

Taste Like Candy was beaten in the Santa Ynez by Awesome Baby, who returned to win the Sunland Park Oaks in March. She also was beaten by 3 1/2 lengths in the Las Virgenes by Fashion Plate, who returned to win the Santa Anita Oaks.

Awesome Baby and Fashion Plate are candidates for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2.

Owned by the partnership of Bad Boy Racing and Whizway Farms, Taste Like Candy drew the outside post in a field of nine in the Santa Paula. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the Santa Paula is a chance to start over with Taste Like Candy, following a short break in her training schedule after the Las Virgenes.

“We needed a little time with her,” Hollendorfer said. “We thought coming back short was the best thing to do. My feeling is she might be a little better going short. She’s been training forwardly.”

Taste Like Candy won her debut over 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita last October, drawing off to win by 6 1/2 lengths. Rafael Bejarano has been aboard Taste Like Candy in her four starts and has the mount Friday.

While Taste Like Candy, by Candy Ride, is the only filly in the field who has placed in a stakes, there will be support for Satirical, who beat maidens in her debut over 5 1/2 furlongs March 8.

“She did what we wanted last time,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “She wants to be quick in the morning. It was nice to see her settle and finish in her race. If she can do that, she could be a good filly.”

Hollendorfer also entered Morning Fix, who is unbeaten in two starts at Golden Gate Fields.

“I’m not sure if I’ll run her or not,” he said.