A head second in the April 18 Apple Blossom (G1), Ollie’s Candy will be the one to beat in Saturday’s $300,000 Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park. The Grade 1 winner ships in from California for John Sadler, and Ollie’s Candy tops a field of six in the 1 1/16-mile event.
The 5-year-old daughter of Candy Ride recorded her biggest victory in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar last summer, and Ollie’s Candy concluded 2019 with a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Joel Rosario retains the mount on the dark bay.
Pinks Sands rates as a contender following back-to-back wins in the Inside Information (G2) and Rampart (G3) at Gulfstream. Shug McGaughey trains the 5-year-old Tapit mare, and Pink Sands will be running late with regular rider Jose Ortiz.
Point of Honor is eligible to keep moving forward off a third in the Apple Blossom. Heroine of the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), the four-year-old daughter of Curlin also finished second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama (G1) before heading to the sidelines in mid-August. Point of Honor will make her third start back for George Weaver, and Javier Castellano will guide.
Multiple Grade 3 winner Blamed enters on the upswing for Bill Mott following a three-length score over a stakes-quality allowance field at Oaklawn. By Blame, the 5-year-old mare rebounded nicely from an unplaced effort in a Grade 3 stakes at Gulfstream Park, and the one-turn distance Saturday should benefit the middle-distance specialist. John Velazquez rides.
Mott will also send out Golden Award, who exits a close second in the Feb. 15 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream. The 5-year-old mare captured a pair of Grade 3 stakes in New York last year, taking the Shuvee (G3) at Saratoga and Take Back the Alarm (G3) at Aqueduct, and Junior Alvarado has the call.
Grade 1 winner She’s a Julie, who exits a disappointing sixth in the May 23 Shawnee S. at Churchill Downs, completes the lineup. The 5-year-old mare is a candidate for improvement in the second start back from a layoff, and Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in to ride for Steve Asmussen.
