CANDY OVERLOAD, an Ontario-bred and sired son of Reload, made his customary last-to-first move in the Feb. 4 Forego Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, KY in his first run outside of Canada.
Bred by Denny Andrews and Sherry McLean’s Northern Dawn Stables, Candy Overload was 6-to-1 in the eight-horse Forego field, worth $98,000, for trainer Mark Casse. Ridden for the first time by Luan Machado, Candy Overload settled some half a dozen lengths off the pace early in the 6 1/2 furlong dash on Tapeta before launching a five-wide run around the turn. The five-year-old, running without Lasix, was up to win by 1/2 a length in 1:16.49. Heavily-favoured Visitant finished fourth.
Candy Overload was purchased privately by Gary Barber, Leonard Schleiffer and Wachtel Stable from Andrews and McLean last fall after a close second-place finish in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine. The gelding had been trained by Krista Cole Simpson. For his new interests, Candy Overload was fifth in the Vigil Stakes (G3) and won the Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) in November. He completed his 2022 campaign in the 1 1/16 mile Steady Growth Stakes where he was fourth.
The gelding has a record of 17-5-5-1 and earnings of $327,758.
Candy Overload is from the first crop of his sire Reload (Hard Spun), who stands at Northern Dawn. His dam is the winner Mini Candy (Candy Ride (Arg)), who McLean purchased for $2,000 as a broodmare/racing prospect at the 2017 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages sale.
Candy Overload is the first foal of Mini Candy and her 2019 foal is two-time winner Gimme Candy, a Kentucky-bred. Her third foal is an unraced 3-year-old named Candy Wine and her 2022 yearling by Reload was purchased for $47,000 by John Mattine, agent for RCC Racing Stable. That youngster had been purchased by Solo Racing, Rustywood Stable and Dale Desruisseaux as a weanling for $3,700.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
