Candy Spots (April 14, 1960 – March 21, 1976) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse.

Background

Candy Spots was foaled in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and was named for the unusual white and black markings, similar to

Bend Or Bend Or (1877–1903) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1880 Epsom Derby. His regular jockey Fred Archer, winner of thirteen consecutive British jockey titles, said Bend Or was probably the greatest horse he had ever ridden. No ...

spots, that speckled his chestnut hair on his hind legs and rump. He was sired by the Argentine-bred stallion Nigromante, who was brought to California by

Rex Ellsworth Rex Cooper Ellsworth (November 15, 1907 – August 24, 1997) was a major owner in Thoroughbred racing and twice the leading breeder in the United States whose story was featured with a cover of the February 25, 1963 edition of ''Sports Illustrate ...

in 1957.

Racing career

Candy Spots was one of the best American juveniles of his generation, winning the Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes among his 3 for 3 record at 2. Candy Spots was undefeated in starts going into the Kentucky Derby. Candy Spots is best known for winning the 1963

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...

and for coming in a close second and third, respectively, in the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby to his rival Chateaugay. His other wins in 1963 included the

Jersey Derby The Jersey Derby is a $60,000 American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in late July/early August at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Since 1993, it has been raced on grass at a distance of miles. A Jerse ...

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Sat ...

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is one ...

American Derby The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and ra ...

and

Arlington Classic The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago. History The event was inaugurat ...

. Unraced at 4, then later in his career in 1965, he won the

San Pasqual Handicap The San Pasqual Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade II event is open to horses, age four and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on ...

Retirement

Candy Spots was retired to stud in 1965, but he produced few stakes winners. His only offspring of note were 1973 Santa Susana Stakes winner Belle Marie, who was also the dam of 1982 American Champion Older Male Horse

Lemhi Gold Lemhi Gold (foaled 1978 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. In 1982, he was voted American Champion Older Male Horse at the Eclipse Awards after a season in which he won the Marlboro Cup and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. B ...

. Through his daughter Candy's Best, Candy Spots was also grandsire to Candy Éclair. Candy Spots died in Lexington, Kentucky in March 1976 at the breeding shed of Warren B. Terry's Domino Stud of a ruptured

renal artery The renal arteries are paired arteries that supply the kidneys with blood. Each is directed across the crus of the diaphragm, so as to form nearly a right angle. The renal arteries carry a large portion of total blood flow to the kidneys. Up to ...

.NY Times March 24, 1976
/ref> Candy Spots was the last direct male line descendant of

Rock Sand Rock Sand (1900–1914) was a British Thoroughbred race horse and sire. In a career which lasted from the spring of 1902 until October 1904 he ran twenty times and won sixteen races. He was a leading British two-year-old of his generation, ...

to win an American Classic Race.^{/sup>

Breeding

References

{{Preakness Stakes Winners

1960 racehorse births
1976 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in California
Racehorses trained in the United States
Preakness Stakes winners
Thoroughbred family 2-e}