Breeders Cup Racing

Chocolate Candy and Misremembered, 3-year-olds with graded stakes wins in California this year, are on course for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, their trainers said Thursday.

Chocolate Candy finished fifth in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes over 1 1/8 miles here last Saturday. Earlier this year, he won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby and California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was encouraged that Chocolate Candy ran a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100 in the Goodwood Stakes, leaving him to believe the colt fits in the Dirt Mile.

“I’ve looked at a lot of horses in there, and we’ll nominate to the race,” Hollendorfer said.

He said Chocolate Candy’s closing style could suit a race such as the Dirt Mile, “especially if there is some speed to set it up.”

The $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic is not as appealing, he said.

“That’s a really tough race,” Hollendorfer said.

Owned by Jenny Craig, Chocolate Candy is winless in his last five starts, including a fifth in the Kentucky Derby and second in the El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 5.

Misremembered recovered from a 10th-place finish in the Pacific Classic over 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar on Sept. 6 to win the Grade 2 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park on Oct. 3. He won the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes during the summer for owners Jill Baffert and George Jacobs and trainer Bob Baffert.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Florida Derby Presented by BlackBerry (G1) winner and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) runner-up Quality Road probably will start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 7 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park.

The 3-year-old bay Elusive Quality colt has placed in all six of his starts this season, winning three races for owner-breeder Edward P. Evans.

If he is not entered in the Classic, he most likely would be entered in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

“I’ll discuss it further with his owner, Mr. Evans, but the Classic is the most likely scenario,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher also said that Evans’ Grade 3 winner Nite Light, the runner-up in the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) on June 5 at Belmont, would be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard said he will consider the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Marathon for the Sovereign Award winner Cloudy’s Knight, who on Sept. 19 won his lone start of the year, the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf.

“I guess we’d have to think about it if he seems to like the synthetic surface here [at Keeneland] and he runs well in the Sycamore,” set for Oct. 22 on Keeneland turf, said Sheppard. “He’s very fresh, and it’s the end of the year, so the timing [16 days] wouldn’t be a big concern.”