Candy Crush Ready for Candy remained perfect through three starts this season, adding her second graded consecutive triumph in Saturday’s $200,000 Sands Point (G2T) for 3-year-old fillies. Back at Aqueduct 28 days after claiming the Grade 3 Winter Memories, the Philip Antonacci charge proved well worthy of the step up in class, delivering a determined push for home to prevail over 7-1 rival Fast Market by a neck. The impressive outing elevated Ready for Candy’s lifetime scorecard to 3-3-2 from 10 starts for north of $368,000 in earnings. Bred in Ontario by Mark Dodson, the dark bay paid $4.38 as the Sands Point’s even-money favourite. Winner Winner It was a dream graded stakes debut for Kappa Kappa, who at 27-1, tracked down a landmark score in Saturday’s $400,000 Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland. Slotted into post nine, Kappa Kappa, under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, shed her underdog status with a lionhearted effort that saw her scrap tooth and nail to outduel 20-1 foe Vodka With a Twist by a head for the breakthrough tally. The Omaha Beach chestnut entered the seven-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies with zero stakes experience, having only competed in one maiden and two allowance contests (2-1-0). Evidently, she was quite ready for a jump in competition, showing very well for trainer Robert Reid Jr. and owners LC Racing (Glenn Bennett), Cash is King (Charles Zacney), and Wellesley Stable (Reid). Now standing at 3-1-0 through four starts ($278,275), Kappa Kappa paid $56.06. Back in Rhythm Zedan Racing Stables’ Barnes put a four-race winless drought deep into the rearview Saturday at Keeneland, emerging from the $350,000 Perryville (G3) a commanding 8 ¼-length winner. Expectations quickly reached astronomical levels for the Into Mischief colt out of American Pharoah mare All American Dream, who fetched a $3.2 million price tag at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Barnes delivered instantly, breaking his maiden at the end of 2024 before kicking off 2025 with 5 ½-length Vicente (G2) triumph on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita. While a string of frustrating finishes followed, the bay, bred in Kentucky by Jeff Drown and Ron Rachel, reclaimed his top form with the dominant Perryville effort. Barnes, at 3-2, paid $5.22. Challenge Accepted Borealis Trail and jockey Jose Campos winning the Ontario Derby on October 18, 2025 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) Stepping up in class and switching from the turf to the all-weather track posed no problem for Borealis Trail, who sped home with great confidence to take the $150,000 Ontario Derby (G3), Saturday at Woodbine. Squaring off against reigning King’s Plate champion Mansetti and Prince of Wales victor Runaway Again after a runner-up Breeders’ Stakes effort on Sept. 28, Borealis Trail, with rider Jose Campos aboard, found himself last of seven into the first turn. Remaining there at the half, the 3-year-old son of Quality Road–Aurora Lights started making inroads in the upper stretch before passing Mansetti with 100 yards to go and pulling away for the two-length tally. Now a graded stakes winner for breeder/owner Chiefswood Stables Limited and trainer Rachel Halden, Borealis Trail has earned $181,866 across six starts (2-1-1). At 6-1 in the 1 1/8-mile Ontario Derby, Borealis Trail paid $14.90. Great Eight An assertive Venencia (FR) pressed the pace every step of the way to capture the $350,000 Dowager (G3T) on a dreary Sunday afternoon at Keeneland. Eyeing her first triumph of the season, the well-travelled 5-year-old mare found her footing in her eighth start, paying no mind to slick conditions for the confident 2 ¾-length score. The get-right outing added a much-needed mark in the win column for the daughter of Recoletos (FR)–Sign of Life, who entered the 1 ½-mile Dowager with a trio of third place finishes on the campaign. Up to 2-1-5 from 13 starts lifetime ($373,817), Venencia, at 7-1, paid $17.76. Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine Share This:Share
