Ollie's Candy edges out Secret Spice in Clement Hirsch thriller

In a weekend of impressive stretch duels, Paul and Karen Eggert's filly Ollie's Candy turned in her own memorable performance to defeat Secret Spice by a head in the $300,351 (£243,438) Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.

Guided by Kent Desormeaux, Ollie's Candy broke well from stall three and made an early move for the lead. Running just off the rail, the filly was sent to the front, where she duelled early with Queen Bee To You.

Away well, Secret Spice and Flavien Prat settled well back in third, more than four lengths behind the leaders. Ollie's Candy set fractions of 23.05s, 46.68s, and 1m 11.32s through six furlongs, widening her margin to three lengths as Secret Spice began her three-wide advance headed into the second turn. Spring In The Wind, the sole Ontario-bred in the field of six, tried to keep pace with the front-runners in fourth but began to drop back as the pack picked up momentum just before the stretch run.

Secret Spice hammered down the stretch to draw on even terms with Ollie's Candy and poked a head in front as the mile went in 1m 37.65s. With only the final yards to run, Ollie's Candy dug in with all she had and got up on the bob to prevail over Secret Spice at the wire. The final time was 1m 44.66s on a fast track.

"I was just letting her do her thing; reins were dangling," said Desormeaux. "At the quarter-pole, I picked her up and she did the rest. She came again [in the lane]. That other mare got in front of us, but my mare is a fighter. She wants to win. John [Sadler, trainer] is on a roll. He just let me come along today."

"She ran a huge race," said Prat of the runner-up. "She just got beat."

Santa Maria Stakes winner La Force, who saved ground at the back of the field before chasing down rivals in deep stretch, got up to take third. Paradise Woods, Spring In The Wind, and Queen Bee To You completed the order of finish.

A Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race, the Clement Hirsch earned Ollie's Candy an automatic berth in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park on November 2.

It was the fifth Clement Hirsch victory for Sadler, who won in 2006 with Healthy Addiction, again in 2014 with Iotapa, and in back-to-back renewals with champion Stellar Wind in 2016-17.

"Ollie's Candy is a really nice filly who ran in some big races here last year for Bill Morey Jr. She came my way in really good shape, and I've just kind of carried on from what he did last year," said Sadler.

Also on Sunday

What was advertised as a competitive race with 12 entries turned into a one-horse show at Saratoga.

Ivan Rodriguez and Albert and Michelle Crawford's Shancelot grabbed the lead from the outside post in the $200,000 Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes and sped to a 12-and-a-half-length romp in the 6½f event for three-year-olds.

"Wow," said trainer Jorge Navarro. "To say what I said a month ago, that this is the best horse I've ever trained — you know, Private Zone was good, Sharp Azteca was good and X Y Jet is still good. Going into the race, I knew he was running against some good horses. I thought, 'Am I going to be wrong?' I guess not.

"The jockey [Emisael Jaramillo] jumped off and said, 'Jorge, this was just a workout.' He said, 'I had so much in the bottom.' I've never seen anything like it."

The Amsterdam victory left Shancelot three from three after making his career debut at Gulfstream Park. The Shanghai Bobby colt won by a neck over seven furlongs first time out, then scored by six and a quarter lengths going 6f at Monmouth Park. All three victories have been gate-to-wire.

Navarro said if Shancelot comes out of the Amsterdam in good order, the plan is to return in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Presented by Runhappy on August 24.

Did you know you can bet via the Racing Post mobile app/website? Simply sign in with your favourite bookmaker via the Accounts button and then bet direct from our racecards