Twirling Candy’s Taking Candy Strikes In the Fair Grounds

[Wandering Eyes]

Having already saddled a pair of debut-winning 3-year-olds earlier on the program, Cherie DeVaux completed a hat-trick of victories when Lael Stables' TAKING CANDY (h, 5, Twirling Candy–Taking Aim, by Trappe Shot) came running in the final furlong to post his first stakes success in Saturday's GIII Fair Grounds Stakes in the Big Easy. Placed behind 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the GIII Saranac Stakes at three in 2023 and runner-up in the 2024 Bernard Baruch Stakes, both at Saratoga, Taking Candy was last seen finishing a running-on third to What Say Thee (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Churchill allowance company in November.

A 33-10 chance in his first start of the season, the $155,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling turned $400,000 OBS March breezer settled in midfield between rivals for the opening half-mile before tugging his way into good striking position from third entering the second turn. Sweeping three wide off the final corner, Taking Candy took aim on pacesetting Higgins Boat (Omaha Beach) and long-time presser Idratherbeblessed (Unified) in upper stretch, hit the front about five off the inside at the sixteenth pole and edged clear.

 

#8 TAKING CANDY ($8.60) secures his first graded win in the $175,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) at @fairgroundsnola. The five-year-old son of @LanesEndFarms' Twirling Candy was piloted by @iradortiz for trainer @reredevaux. pic.twitter.com/JsRuPC8Dyf

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 15, 2025

Saturday, Fair Grounds
FAIR GROUNDS S. PRESENTED BY HORSE RACING NATION-GIII, $175,000, Fair Grounds, 2-15, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.44, fm.
1–TAKING CANDY, 118, h, 5, by Twirling Candy
           1st Dam: Taking Aim, by Trappe Shot
           2nd Dam: Winning Call, by Deputy Minister
           3rd Dam: Call Now, by Wild Again
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($155,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Lael Stables; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $105,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-2-1, $385,730. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Higgins Boat, 118, g, 4, Omaha Beach–Betty Draper, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Ensemble Racing II; B-Breed First LLC (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss. $35,000.
3–What Say Thee, 118, g, 7, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Noisy Feet, by Tapit. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($45,000 5yo '23 KEEAPR). O-Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $17,500.
Margins: 1, 1, HF. Odds: 3.30, 10.60, 4.70.
Also Ran: Idratherbeblessed, Unit Economics (GB), Money Supply, Relampago Verde, Gigante, Dean Martini. Scratched: Warrior Johny.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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