Maker’s Candy dominates return to Finger Lakes in the Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes. SV Photography.
By Paul Halloran
An ownership group led by Paradise Farms made it two wins in a row in the Genessee Valley Breeders’ Stakes at Finger Lakes Monday, when odds-on favorite Maker’s Candy rolled to a 4 3/4-length win.
A year after Barese, owned by Paradise Farms and David Staudacher at the time, won the Genessee Valley, Maker’s Candy made every pole a winning one. Maxis Stable and John Huber are also part of the ownership group of Maker’s Candy, who was bred by Newtownanner Stud and foaled at Jacks Farm on the Hill in Millbrook.
Lady’s Golden Guy broke first from the far outside in a field that scratched down to six, but Manny Franco was intent on getting the lead and hustled Maker’s Candy to the front from the rail. Maker’s Candy was in front by the time they went around the clubhouse turn through a quarter-mile in :24.22.
The lead was a length as they started down the backstretch, and while Franco never really opened up on the field, he was in control throughout. Lady’s Golden Guy got as close as a long neck heading into the far turn after a half-mile in :48.70, but Maker’s Candy gradually extended the advantage down the stretch. The final time was 1:47.08.
Maker’s Candy, a 4-year-old son of Twirling Candy, improved his career line to 6-3-2 from 18 starts with $423,910 in earnings. Out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Purple Cat, Maker’s Candy sold for $97,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Trainer Mike Maker signed for the $200,000 ticket at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-olds in training sale.
Purple Cat, a $550,000 yearling purchase in 2009, has produced two other winners out of six foals to race – Catapult Jack and Deep Space. Maker’s Candy is by far her most successful progeny. Purple Cat is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Sky Diva and stakes winner and the multiple Grade 1-placed Freud mare Quick Little Miss. The family also includes dual Grade 1 winner Pure Clan and Grade 1 winner Finley’sluckycharm.
Purple Cat was sold for $12,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale and foaled a New York-bred Speightster colt named Dream Alliance a few months later. Dream Alliance, who was sold for $20,000 at the 2022 OBS October yearling sale, ran sixth in his career debut August 5 at Finger Lakes.
Barese won six races, including the 2022 New York Derby at Finger Lakes, and more than $550,000 for Paradise Farms and Staudacher before getting claimed by Mertkan Kantarmaci for Diane Balsamo August 1 at Saratoga. The same ownership campaigns 3-year-old standout New York-bred The Wine Steward, who has three wins and three seconds in seven career starts, the only out-of-the-money finish coming in this year’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
