BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Third last out behind winner Ready for Candy and runner-up Paradise City in the Grade 3 Winter Memories during the Belmont at Big A meet on Sept. 20, Florida-bred Decadent gets another shot at her two rivals over the same turf in Saturday’s $200,000 Sands Point (G2). The Ken McPeek-trained Decadent is among eight 3-year-old fillies entered to go nine furlongs during the Belmont at Big A meet at Aqueduct Race Track.
Decadent and jockey Chistropher Elliott finished just two lengths behind Ready for Candy in the one-mile Winter Memories, which was her first career start on turf and second race off a five-and-a-half-month layoff. In her first race back, she was tenth of 13 as the 3-1 favorite in the $200,000 Cathryn Sophia going a mile-and-70-yards at Parx Racing on Aug. 19.
She was undefeated in her first two and only races before her time away. The bay daughter of Girvin won by three-and-a-quarter lengths against maiden special weight fillies going seven furlongs in the slop at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 29 and was equally impressive in her second race. Shipping to Oaklawn Park, Decadent won a first condition, $100,000 optional claiming by three lengths going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on March 1.
Owned by Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing, Savvy Stables and Stephen Dervenis, Decadent has earned $148,000 in her four starts. McPeek purchased her as an agent for $100,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale in July of 2023.
Decadent is out of unraced Istan mare One More Minute and was bred in Florida by the late Brereton C. Jones.
Elliott has the return mount and Decadent has drawn the outside post eight.
Ready for Candy tries for her third straight having gone undefeated in two starts this year, both since being moved to the barn of trainer Philip Antonacci.
Before the Winter Memories, she won a maiden special weight for fillies and mares by nearly eight lengths going a mile-and-an-eighth on the grass at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 17.
She had three seconds and third in seven starts as a 2-year-old, five of which came in stakes. In her final start last year, Ready for Candy was second to Aristella in the $251,000 Princess Elizabeth on synthetic at Woodbine.
An earner of $258,421 from her nine career starts, Ready for Candy has post five and Ricardo Santana Jr. will ride. She is owned by Lindy Farms.
The Winter Memories was also the first start on grass for Paradise City, who finished just a nose shy of Ready for Candy. Among her seven starts this year is a six-length victory in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park. She was second to Five G in the $150,000 Cash Run going a mile on Jan. 1 and second to Kinzie Queen in a first condition, $200,000 optional claiming at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on April 26, both at Gulfstream.
Paradise City has a lifetime record of two wins, three seconds and a third from 10 starts with earnings of $230,350.
She is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for C Two Racing Stable, Shining Stable LLC, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch and Manny Franco will ride from post seven.
Rounding out the field are Boca Queen (Ire) with Sahin Civaci named to ride, Fast Market and jockey Samuel Marin, Winfinity will have Danilo Grisales Rave in the irons, Griselda (Fr) has Flavien Prat taking the call and Dylan Davis will guide Pretty Picture.
Return to the October 15 issue of Wire to Wire
