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Chocolate Candy drills five furlongs in :59 1/5 With new rider Mike Smith aboard, El Camino Real Derby (G3) hero CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]) blitzed five furlongs in :59 1/5 at Santa Anita on Sunday. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil tied for the third-best of 77 works at the distance on the Pro-Ride. "I was happy with the work," Hollendorfer said. "Mike was able to familiarize himself with the horse, and he's going to work the horse two times at Churchill Downs." "Mike was very happy," assistant trainer Dan Ward added. "We leave at 2 a.m. Tuesday (for Louisville, Kentucky)." Smith, a Hall of Famer, rode Giacomo to his 50-1 upset in the 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1). Chocolate Candy was most recently runner-up to PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire Maker) in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). "The California horses seem to be doing well," Hollendorfer said, taking encouragement from the fact that the Southern California form has held up well across the country. I WANT REVENGE (Stephen Got Even), beaten twice by Pioneerof the Nile in the CashCall Futurity (G1) and the Robert B. Lewis S. (G2), shipped to New York to sweep the Gotham S. (G3) and the Wood Memorial S. (G1) at Aqueduct. PAPA CLEM (Smart Strike), runner-up in the Lewis, finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) before capturing Saturday's Arkansas Derby (G2). "It means nothing now," Pioneerof the Nile's trainer Bob Baffert said of the Southern California form. "What will be meaningful is how they're doing the week of the Derby. We know we have good horses here. We knew that going in. I bet on Papa Clem yesterday." In a change in his colt's schedule, Baffert said Pioneerof the Nile would work at Santa Anita Wednesday and ship Thursday to Churchill Downs, where two workouts are scheduled before the Derby. Initially, Baffert considered working the Santa Anita Derby winner Monday for a Tuesday departure. Baffert still had no commitment from Garrett Gomez on Pioneerof the Nile for the Derby. The nation's Eclipse Award winner as outstanding jockey the last two years also is the rider of Florida Derby (G1) runner-up DUNKIRK (Unbridled's Song) for Todd Pletcher. "(Ron) Anderson (agent for Gomez) is supposed to let me know after this weekend," Baffert said. "I haven't even thought about a backup (rider)." Dennis O'Neill, brother and associate of trainer Doug O'Neill, said SQUARE EDDIE (Smart Strike) leaves Tuesday morning for Keeneland, where he runs in Saturday's Lexington S. (G2). The chestnut, who has been sidelined since January, worked six furlongs on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track Saturday in 1:12 1/5, breezing. Square Eddie was second to champion Midshipman (Unbridled's Song) in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), a race in which Pioneerof the Nile finished fifth by almost three lengths. "Square Eddie belongs with these horses," Dennis said. "It's just a question of fitness, I guess, at this point. The way he worked yesterday, and hopefully, with a race into him Saturday, we'll be close (for the Derby)."
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