Maker’s Candy proven at distance

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The same connections who won last year’s Gander Stakes for 3-yearold New York-breds with Barese will try to win it again with Maker’s Candy in Saturday’s eighth renewal of the $100,000 stakes going one mile at Aqueduct.

Maker’s Candy, trained by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher, comes into the Gander off a 6 3/4-length maiden victory on Jan. 28, his second career start. That victory came at one mile, making him the only member of this five-horse field to have won at the Gander distance.

The win came following a fourth-place finish in a sixfurlong maiden race here on Dec. 31. That day, in the fog, Maker’s Candy was an up-close presence, but had little kick when the real running started in the stretch. He was outfinished by a neck for third by Dr. Kraft, who came back to win his maiden and is back in this field.

“He’s a horse we’ve always had high hopes for and thought he’d appreciate a route of ground and he didn’t disappoint,” Maker said of Maker’s Candy.

Maker said Maker’s Candy had a few setbacks on his way to getting to the races and probably needed his debut to move him forward.

Though Maker’s Candy’s win came when put on Lasix for the first time, Maker doesn’t feel coming off that medication for the Gander – horses in New York may not run on Lasix in stakes – will be an issue.

Jose Gomez, aboard for the maiden win, is back on Maker’s Candy, who breaks from post 4.

D’ont Lose Cruz is the only multiple winner in the Gander.

He won a maiden race last November when trained by Richard Schosberg. Following a second-place finish in the Notebook Stakes – and Schosberg’s retirement – D’ont Lose Cruz was turned over to trainer David Duggan. He won a firstlevel statebred race on Jan. 15 by 2 3/4 lengths while equipped with blinkers for the first time.

“Sometimes you put blinkers on a speed horse and you’re adding dynamite to the fire,” Duggan said. “He showed he’s mature enough that wasn’t the case. If he can go the one-turn mile that opens up a lot of doors for him.”

With Kendrick Carmouche sidelined due to injury, Luis Rodriguez Castro has picked up the mount on D’ont Lose Cruz, who breaks from post 2.

Neural Network, trained by Chad Brown, won his debut by five lengths here last November going seven furlongs. Brown tried him against open company in the Jerome Stakes, where he finished a non-threatening fourth behind Lugan Knight.

Brown said he’s hoping Neural Network just didn’t handle the drying-out track that day.

Brown is adding blinkers to Neural Network’s equipment Saturday.

Starquist was a debut winner for John Kimmel last October, but has lost three straight, including a runner-up performance behind D’ont Lose Cruz in the aforementioned allowance.

Dr. Kraft, trained by Chris Englehart, won his maiden by a neck on Jan. 26 going 6 1/2 furlongs over a muddy track.

With only five runners, the Gander is carded as the third race on a nine-race program that begins at 12:50 p.m. and includes the $125,000 Stymie Stakes for older males.