G3-Placed Gelding Continues Preparations for 7-Year-Old Debut
Candy Light Graduates Thursday with Popular 4 ½-Length Score

LAUREL, MD – Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and BTR Racing, Inc.’s multiple stakes-winning gelding Whereshetoldmetogo worked Thursday at Laurel Park as he continues to gear up for his 7-year-old debut in the $75,000 Not For Love March 19.

Unraced since finishing fifth Dec. 26 in defense of his Dave’s Friend victory of 2020, Whereshetoldmetogo breezed a half-mile in 49.40 seconds over a fast main track, third-fastest of eight horses. It was his third timed work following the Dave’s Friend, all since Feb. 8.

“He’s straightforward. We always sort of back off him in December and January,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “That’s what we did last year with him, and then we targeted the Not For Love and it seemed like it worked out. It was a good way to get the year going for him, so it’s the same sort of thing.

“The Not For Love would definitely be the goal. It’s silly not to try. He loves Laurel and it being a Maryland-bred race and all that,” she added. “I feel like I’ve got a pretty good handle on where we are with him and we’re in a good spot.”

Whereshetoldmetogo owns 13 career wins and a bankroll of $747,791 from 32 starts. Ten of his victories have been in stakes races, six of them at Laurel, the most recent coming in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Nov. 26.

Bred in Maryland by David Wade, the son of El Padrino has won at least one stakes in four of his five racing seasons, the exception coming in 2019 when he was limited to four starts over a three-month span in the fall. He is also graded-stakes placed, having run second by a neck to Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire in the 2018 Gallant Bob (G3) at Parx.

Other Laurel stakes wins for Whereshetoldmetogo came in the 2020 and 2021 Frank Y. Whiteley, 2021 Not For Love, and 2018 Star de Naskra and Concern.

“The horse seems like he still enjoys his job. He still shows up in the afternoon. He ran up against some really good racehorses last summer,” Russell said. “His last race, it wasn’t a bad race. I was fine with it. Of course we wanted to win.

“He’s just a horse that kind of tells you what he needs,” she added. “If he were to give us any indication that he wasn’t happy doing the job or he needed to be stopped on, of course we would. He’s owned by a great group of people and he’ll get what he needs. If he’s going to keep running and winning I think we’re going to keep him in training.”

The six-furlong Not For Love for Maryland-bred/sired 4-year-olds and up will be held as part of a program featuring five stakes worth $450,000 in purses. Also scheduled are the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds, $100,000 Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies, $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial for 4-year-olds and up, and $75,000 Conniver for Maryland-bred fillies and mares 4 and up.

Nominations for all five stakes close Saturday, March 5.

Candy Light Graduates Thursday with Popular 4 ½-Length Score

Fortune Racing’s 3-year-old filly Candy Light stalked pacesetter Queen Cadence into the far turn, edged clear once straightened for home and turned back a late run from Continentalcongres to earn her first career victory in Thursday’s feature race.

The even-money favorite in a field of six for the one-mile maiden special weight, Candy Light ($4) completed the distance in 1:43.4 over a main track rated good to win by 4 ½ lengths over Continentalcongres.

It was the fourth lifetime start for Candy Light and second in a row since being moved to the dirt by trainer Graham Motion after a pair of turf sprints. She had not raced since being beaten a nose as the favorite in a similar spot Dec. 31 a Laurel under jockey Charlie Marquez, who was up again Thursday.

Candy Light, bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, was purchased for $200,000 last June as a 2-year-old in training. She is by Candy Ride out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Queen Yolanda.

Notes: Jockey Jean Alvelo registered back-to-back wins Thursday with Krachenwagen ($5.20) in Race 3 and Pit Stop Man ($40.40) in Race 4 … Both Krachenwagen and Shackaboom ($9.20) in Race 7 are trained by Hugh McMahon … There will be a carryover of $14,326.20 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 for Friday’s eight-race program. Multiple tickets with all six winners Thursday each returned $981.80.