Storming Candy edges Knight of Drama in photo finish

The first race of the day Oct. 30 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club involved a photo finish to determine which of the two San Luis Rey Training Center horses won.

The track stewards determined that Storming Candy beat Knight of Drama by a nose in the six-furlong race for two-year-olds who had not previously won a race. Storming Candy is trained by Clifford Sise and was ridden by Martin Garcia. Edwin Maldonado rode Knight of Drama, who is trained by Scott Rollins. Storming Candy, who is owned by Halo Farms and Jim and Diane Bashor, had a winning time of 1:10.58.

"Good race," Sise said. "Close race."

Storming Candy was foaled in Kentucky on Feb. 6, 2013. His sire was Candy Ride and his dam was Magical Mood. He made his debut Aug. 23 at Del Mar and finished third. On Sept. 20, Storming Candy and Knight of Drama both ran in the 6 1/2-furlong Barretts Juvenile Stakes race at Los Alamitos; Knight of Drama finished third and Storming Candy was eighth among the nine horses.

"We decided to geld him and I think that helped him well," Sise said.

The Oct. 30 race was the first for Storming Candy since he was gelded. Storming Candy started in the third post position and Knight of Drama had the fifth post position.

Storming Candy broke first among the five horses. Knight of Drama stumbled at the gate, which Rollins believes contributed to being on the less desired end of the photo finish, and broke fourth.

Knight of Drama had led the Barretts Juvenile Stakes after a quarter of a mile and trailed the leader by a head after half a mile, but he finished 9 3/4 lengths behind the winner and 2 1/4 lengths behind the second-place horse. Sise suspected that Knight of Drama was a stronger starter than finisher and wasn't worried about Garcia letting Storming Candy be in second during the first part of the Del Mar race.

"He let the 5 (Knight of Drama) go by him. Martin rode very smoothly," Sise said.

Knight of Drama reached the end of the first quarter-mile in 23 seconds and had a one-length lead over Storming Candy, who led third-place Lord Snow by half a length. When Knight of Drama reached the half-mile point 46.05 seconds into the race he led Storming Candy by a head while Storming Candy led Lord Snow by half a length.

Storming Candy entered the stretch 57.94 seconds into the race and had a head lead over Knight of Drama, who was leading Lord Snow by fourth lengths at that point. Lord Snow fell to fifth, and Knight of Drama ended the race 3 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place Two the Punch.

"Just got outrun with a little bad luck," Rollins said.

The race gave Knight of Drama his third second-place finish in five career races.

"He's a nice little horse. He's trained real well down here," said Rollins, who stables horses at the Turf Paradise track in Phoenix and utilizes San Luis Rey from May through December for the Southern California meets.

Storming Candy received the $18,000 first-place share of the total $30,000 purse to increase his career earnings to $27,400. Knight of Drama, who is owned by CTR Stables, improved his career earnings to $30,380 with the $6,000 second-place share.