BREEDERS CUP CLASSIC PACE WILL MAKE THE RACE

Although classic winner California Chrome and champion Shared Belief are among the 3-year-olds sharing top billing in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), trainer John Sadler believes Candy Boy has the credentials to be in the mix for the 1 1/4-mile race.

Other than a troubled 13th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Bards (gr. I), the homebred son of Candy Ride   has never been worse than fourth in 11 career starts for Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable.

The colt, out of She's an Eleven, by In Excess, is coming off a third-place finish to Classic contender Bayern in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) when California Chrome was sixth as the 9-10 favorite.

"He's got one placing ahead of California Chrome in the Pennsylvania Derby and he was second to Shared Belief in the Los Alamitos Derby (gr. II)," Sadler said Oct. 25 after Candy Boy worked seven furlongs in 1:25 in company with Anniversary Boy. "His form is his form. He's been good and steady. He hasn't shown that he's the best 3-year-old, but he's in the upper group."

Sadler, who labeled the work "very good," believes late-closing Candy Boy should be well suited to the Classic's 1 1/4-mile distance.

"He had a terrible trip in the Kentucky Derby (after taking up sharply at the seven-eighths marker)," Sadler said. "He was essentially eliminated on the first turn. But otherwise, he's been remarkably consistent. 

"We're running on his home track at a mile and a quarter and he's doing well, so we're looking forward to the race."

With $786,800 in earnings, Candy Boy's best effort and lone stakes win to date came in the Robert B. Lewis (gr. II) at Santa Anita in February.

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