It's one thing to think a horse might run well after a switch in surface. It's another thing entirely to see him set a course record in the process.
Sidney's Candy, in his first try on grass in his career, set a Del Mar course record at a mile and a sixteenth when he won the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap in 1.39.52. (Chart) (Updated 8/16: The Beyer Speed Figure for Sidney's Candy in the La Jolla came back at 102.)
Prior to the La Jolla, I wondered what running style Sidney's Candy would resort to on the turf: would he show the ton of early speed that we've seen from him on the dirt and synthetic, or would he show a bit more patience? That question was answered inside of the first quarter mile as Sidney's Candy and Macias opened up eight lengths on the lead.
Macias isn't a bad colt himself, definitely a notch below Sidney's Candy but he's run credibly in previous attempts against graded company; Sidney's Candy ran Macias into the ground in yesterday's race.
This performance from Sidney's Candy gives John Sadler a lot of options going forward although I'd be surprised if he's not pointed towards the Breeders' Cup Mile.
The internal splits for Sidney's Candy yesterday:
23.10, 22.71, 23.10, 24.18, 6.43
Sidney's Candy ran the opening mile in 1:33.09. For comparison purposes, the course record for a mile at Del Mar is 1:32.21 by Three Valleys in 2005.