Chocolate Candy awaits Belmont
Source: Daily Racing Form
While seven of the 19 horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby are being pointed to next Saturday's Preakness Stakes, one Derby also-ran is already looking ahead to the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 6.
Chocolate Candy, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, arrived at Belmont Park earlier in the week and is bedded down in Barn 20 along with two other horses trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
Though Hollendorfer said Chocolate Candy came out of the Derby in good order, he didn't consider running back in the Preakness because he didn't want to run in all three Triple Crown races.
"He came out of it real well; we're pleased he came out of it soundly,'' Hollendorfer said by phone Friday from California. "Mike [Smith] told me he didn't handle that track that well but I hate to say that because that's making an excuse. Everybody had to handle the same track. We did get squeezed a little at the start; that caused us to be back a little further than we wanted.''
Because of the unique 1 1/2-mile configuration of Belmont Park, Hollendorfer opted to ship Chocolate Candy from Kentucky to New York early rather than take him back to California.
"I've run a little bit at Belmont and it's a little different type of track,'' Hollendorfer said. "I'd rather get him a little more used to it as opposed to shipping in on top of the race.''
Hollendorfer said he would come to New York over the weekend to supervise a scheduled Monday workout for Chocolate Candy.
In addition to Chocolate Candy, Hollendorfer brought the 3-year-old colt Rendezvous and the 3-year-old filly Pretty Katherine to New York. Rendezvous, a 3-year-old son of Victory Gallop, finished fourth to Hull in the Grade 3 Derby Trial in his last start. Hollendorfer said he wasn't sure what race Rendezvous would run next, but said the Belmont was unlikely.
Pretty Katherine, a Canadian-bred 3-year-old, finished sixth in the restricted Fury Stakes at Woodbine last Sunday. Hollendorfer is also unsure what might be next for her.