Ready for Candy backed up a dominant maiden win with a stakes victory Saturday when she edged Paradise City by a nose in the Grade 3, $175,000 Winter Memories at the Belmont meet at Aqueduct.
It was another two lengths back in third to Decadent.
The race for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf was one of two stakes on the card.
Spirit of New York became a stakes winner when he darted to a half-length win over Black Volt in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for 2-year-olds bred in New York. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back in third to Lawyer Mason.
Ready for Candy ($7.36) settled just off the pace, stalking the leaders in fourth through fractions of 23.45 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.82 for the half-mile and 1:12.15 for six furlongs. Ready for Candy began her bid on the final turn, moved to the lead in the stretch, then held off a fast-closing Paradise City to cover the mile race run on firm turf in 1:35.29.
“Today, she gave me everything she had,” winning rider Ricardo Santana Jr. told the publicity department for the New York Racing Association.
“That was the key, getting the jump on everybody turning for home and see which one is the best."
Philip Antonacci trains Ready for Candy for Lindy Farms. The daughter of Twirling Candy came into the Winter Memories off a more-than-seven-lengths maiden special weight win at Saratoga.
Spirit of New York ($6.30) on Saturday settled just off pacemaker Funny Factor, who took the field through an opening quarter in 22.50 seconds and the half-mile in 45.25. Spirit of New York came three wide into the stretch and dug in to the wire, while covering six furlongs on firm turf in 1:08.55.
“I had the trip that I wanted,” winning rider Manny Franco told the press department for NYRA. “I wanted to sit right off of horses.
“This horse was helping me the whole way. I felt like I had horse under me. I was just waiting for the moment to move. I made my move and he made the lead. He kind of waited a little bit on horses. As soon as he felt the horse outside of him, he kept on going. He got it done."
Spirit of New York is trained by Adam Rice. The son of Honest Mischief races for the partnership of Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Winners Win and Mark Parkinson.
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