Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
DANZING CANDY ADDS LUSTER TO NEW-SIRE ROSTER
The career of Danzing Candy was a work in progress when he was sidelined with an injury last summer.
Danzing Candy won consecutive graded stakes at Lone Star Park and Santa Anita in May and July and would have been favored in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar in late August when a hairline fracture of a sesamoid was detected.
Danzing Candy was immediately retired. A few months later, Danzing Candy was bound for a stud career at Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, Calif.
The injury ended a fine season, one in which Danzing Candy might have been a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November. Instead, the 4-year-old is at the start of a stud career that Rancho San Miguel general manager Clay Murdock said has been well received.
Murdock projects Danzing Candy could have a book of 75 to 100 mares this year at an advertised fee of $5,000.
“We’ve got a great response,” Murdock said earlier this month. “He will be very successful. We’ve heard from all different people.
“He could very well hit the century mark.”
Danzing Candy won 6 of 11 starts and earned $700,930. By Twirling Candy, Danzing Candy won three stakes – the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in March 2016, the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap at 1 1/16 miles in May, and the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita in July.
Owned by Jim and Dianne Bashor and Ted Aroney, Danzing Candy was trained by Cliff Sise for his first six races. After finishing fourth behind Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby in April 2016, Danzing Candy set the pace in 2016 Kentucky Derby but faded to finish 15th behind Nyquist.
Danzing Candy was transferred to Bob Baffert in the days after the Kentucky Derby.
Danzing Candy is out of Talking and Singing, a mare by Songandaprayer who was winless in nine starts. Danzing Candy is a half-brother to Cedartown, who won the Zia Park Derby last month in New Mexico.
Murdock said the Bashors and Aroney are part of a syndicate that owns Danzing Candy as a stallion.
“He’s a good-looking, balanced horse,” Murdock said. “He’s 16-2 hands. He looks the part.
“We’re excited to be starting him off.”
Danzing Candy is one of the more prominent names among the new stallions in California in 2018, a group that includes first-year stallions and several relocated from other states.
FIRST-YEAR STALLIONS SABURO
Medaglia d’Oro–Kid Majic, by Lemon Drop Kid FARM: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds FEE: $3,500
Purchased for $600,000 at the FasigTipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale in 2016, Saburo lost both of his two starts, one at Santa Anita and one at Churchill Downs, both for owner and trainer Mick Ruis.
Saburo is out of the stakes-placed Kid Majic, who was third in the 2007 Lone Star Oaks.
Kid Majic is the dam of Miss Mischief, who won stakes at Aqueduct, Presque Isle Downs, and Woodbine. Miss Mischief won 9 of 24 starts and earned $522,980. She was the champion older female and champion female sprinter in Canada in 2015.
Kid Majic is the dam of two other winners who earned more than $100,000, Turnover and Theycallhimthekid.
Through Dec. 14, Medaglia d’Oro was third on the 2017 general stallion list with progeny earnings of $12.9 million.
SHAMAN GHOST
Ghostzapper–Getback Time, by Gilded Time FEE: $10,000 FARM: To be announced
Shaman Ghost won 8 of 17 starts and earned $3,859,311 racing throughout North America.
Owned by Santa Anita chairman Frank Stronach, Shaman Ghost was the champion 3-year-old colt in Canada in 2015, the year he won the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine. In 2016, Shaman Ghost won two stakes, including the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga.
Earlier this year, Shaman Ghost was second to Arrogate in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January and
won the Santa Anita Handicap in March. He finished second in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park in July in his final start.
Shaman Ghost underwent throat surgery earlier this year. His retirement was announced earlier this month.
STANFORD
Malibu Moon–Rosy Humor, by Distorted Humor FARM: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds FEE: $5,000
Stanford won stakes in Florida, New Jersey, and West Virginia. He won four stakes and 6 of 17 starts, and earned $1,385,510, all for Stonestreet Stables and Coolmoore. Now 5, he was trained by Todd Pletcher.
Stanford’s most prestigious win came in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in April 2016. The same year, Stanford was second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap.
Stanford finished fifth in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June in his final start.
Rosy Humor is the dam of Hedge Fund, a colt by Super Saver who was third in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby in March and third in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby in April.
STORMBERG
Storm Cat–Serena’s Song, by Rahy FARM: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds FEE: $2,500
Stormberg’s bloodlines catch the eye. The 9-year-old ridgling is by former leading stallion Storm Cat and out of the champion mare Serena’s Song, a Hall of Famer.
Serena’s Song won 18 of 38 starts and earned $3,283,388. She won 17 stakes, including 11 Grade 1 races, all for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. As a broodmare, Serena’s Song has produced five stakes winners.
Stormberg won 2 of 14 starts and earned $108,865. Both his wins came on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, in a maiden race in February 2012 and an optional claimer in April of that year.
Stormberg had his final start in 2014.
STRAIGHT FIRE
Dominus–Tricky Indy, by A.P. Indy FARM: Legacy Ranch FEE: $3,500
Straight Fire’s career spanned only four races, all in 2016, but he raced in two of California’s leading stakes for 2-year-olds.
Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Straight Fire won a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs by 10 1/4 lengths at Del Mar in his second start. The speedy Straight Fire was second to Klimt in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs that September and third behind Gormley in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in October in what turned out to be his final start.
Straight Fire was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale in 2015 and is a half-brother to Magical Band, who was third in the Time to Leave Stakes at Hollywood Park in 2013.
TEXAS RYANO
Curlin–Blending Element, by Great Commotion FARM: Ballena Vista Farm FEE: $3,500
In a career focused on turf races, Texas Ryano won 5 of 22 starts and earned $455,055. A 6-year-old, Texas Ryano won two stakes, highlighted by the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar in November 2016. In his start preceding that race, Texas Ryano was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita behind Highland Reel.
Trained by Carla Gaines for Warren Williamson, Texas Ryano finished sixth in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita in June. Texas Ryano won at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/2 miles.
His dam, Blending Element, was a three-time stakes winner in the 1990s who earned $448,483. Blending Element is the dam of four other stakes winners – Excessive Blend (who earned $173,175), Holladay Road ($396,532), Tiz a Blend ($186,354), and Tiz Elemental ($483,740).
WAR ENVOY
War Front–La Conseillante, by Elusive Quality FARM: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds FEE: $5,000
War Envoy had the most international
career of any of the new stallions in California in 2018.
Initially trained by Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, War Envoy raced in Ireland, France, England, and the United States early in his career. He won the 28-runner Britannia Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf at Royal Ascot in 2015, was 12th as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita in 2014, and second in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in 2014.
War Envoy was winless in 10 starts in the United States. In March, War Envoy was third in an optional claimer on turf at Santa Anita.
La Conseillante was a minor stakes winner in France in 2007. She won 3 of 6 starts, all in France or Florida in 2007 and 2008.
RELOCATED STALLIONS CITY WOLF
Giant’s Causeway–Baby Zip, by Relaunch FARM: EF1 Farms FEE: To be announced
City Wolf previously stood in Kentucky and was bred to 12 mares in 2017, according to Jockey Club statistics.
City Wolf is a half-brother to Ghostzapper, a Hall of Famer and 2004 Horse of the Year, and City Zip, a prominent stallion.
City Wolf had four runners in 2017 in his first crop, led by Kiss of the Wolf, a maiden in Louisiana.
City Wolf, 10, won 4 of 18 starts and earned $293,686 in a five-year career from 2009 to 2013. His lone stakes win was the Grade 3 Durham Cup at Woodbine in 2011.
City Wolf won at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.
HEAVEN’S GLORY
Tapit–Peeping Fawn, by Danehill FARM: Milky Way Farm FEE: $2,500
A Japanese-bred, Heaven’s Glory previously stood in Maryland where he was bred to 13 mares in 2017, according to Jockey Club statistics. Heaven’s Glory sustained a training injury and never started.
Heaven’s Glory, 4, has an impeccable pedigree. He is by top stallion Tapit and is out of Peeping Fawn, the champion 3-yearold filly in Europe in 2007.
Peeping Fawn won four consecutive Group 1 races for trainer Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore in 2007, including the Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks.
Peeping Fawn is the dam of September, a filly by Deep Impact. Trained by O’Brien, September won the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June of this year and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last month at Del Mar.
NORTH LIGHT
Danehill–Sought Out, by Rainbow Quest FARM: EF1 Farms FEE: To be announced
North Light, who previously stood in Kentucky and Ontario, has had success with runners in California. He is the sire of the California multiple stakes winner Chips All In and Celtic New Year, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap in 2011.
North Light’s leading earner has been Arctic Cosmos, winner of the Group 1 English St. Leger Stakes in 2010. Arctic Cosmos earned $634,599.
North Light, who was bred in Ireland, won the Group 1 English Derby in 2004, the year he was second in the Grade 1 Irish Derby and was fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
STAY THIRSTY
Bernardini–Marozia, by Storm Bird FARM: Lovacres Ranch FEE: $5,000
Stay Thirsty’s oldest foals are 3-yearolds and include the Peruvian Group 1 winner Golden Leaf and the American stakes winners Coal Front and Princess Karen. Coal Front has won 4 of 5 starts and earned $411,000. He was sidelined with an injury after a win in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing in September.’
Princess Karen won the Beverly Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos in September and is a candidate for the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Tuesday at Santa Anita.
Stay Thirsty previously stood in Kentucky and was bred to 65 mares in 2017, according to Jockey Club statistics.
On the track, Stay Thirsty won 5 of 17 starts and earned $1,936,000 in a career that included four stakes wins. Trained by Todd Pletcher for Mike Repole, Stay Thirsty won two Grade 1 races – the 2011 Travers Stakes and the 2012 Cigar Mile. He was second in the 2011 Belmont Stakes behind Ruler On Ice and second to Flat Out in the 2012 Jockey Club Gold Cup.