09/22/2023
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The even-money favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares, Milena Kwiecien's Eye Live For Candy won Thursday's 400-yard, $28,681 Q-Racing Video Indianapolis Distaff Challenge Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Eye Live For Candy defeated Sawyer Strange by a head in :20.096 under jockey Rolando Pina. Jason Pascoe prepped the 4-year-old daughter of champion A Revenant, who earned her fourth lifetime stakes victory and a berth in the October 21 Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) at Lone Star Park.
"I was told she didn't like the stick much," Pina said. "She broke a little slow, but I hesitated to bring out my stick. It seemed like every time I moved my hands, she thought I was going to use it, and she hesitated, so I just let her run because she was doing so well without it.
"I didn't want to do anything to mess her up," he added. "You can tell she's intense on the track. She means 'game on' when it's time to go."
Eye Live For Candy was bred in Wyoming by Klay Hinck, and she made her local debut with a second-place finish in an overnight stakes on August 31.
"I was very pleased with how she ran today," said Pascoe, who is based at Ajax Downs near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. "We brought her down here (for the August 31 overnight stakes) to give her a run over the track. We took her back home (to Canada), and brought her back in for this race.
"We'll bring her back home to Ajax and get ready for the (Challenge Championship)," the trainer added. "We still have a meet to finish up at Ajax, then we'll head down to Lone Star Park with this mare."
Eye Live For Candy is out of Eyesa Candy Maker, a winning Eyesa Special mare who ran third in DMNV Mountable's 2008 Re*****on Park Derby (G1). Campaigned at four tracks in two countries, the mare has won seven of 22 races and has banked $120,348.
Photo by Coady Photography