Candied could be the beginning of something special for a new focus on breeding at Doug and Karen Arnold's Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky.
Since purchasing historic Buck Pond Farm in 1994, the Arnolds have been active in buying and selling horses as well as standing stallions. About five years ago the Arnolds decided to put some more emphasis on breeding horses and those efforts already have paid off with Candied, a daughter of Candy Ride who rallied from fifth early to register a clear victory in the $600,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) Oct. 6 at Keeneland.
Doug Arnold was able to make the trip to Keeneland for the Alcibiades and was thrilled to be included in the winner's circle celebration with owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, trainer Todd Pletcher, and jockey Luis Saez.
"It was fabulous; it really was," Arnold said "The first calls I made after the win were to the guys that worked for me because they are the ones that put it all together and take care of the horses."
After those phone calls, Arnold reached out to congratulate Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners vice president of bloodstock Sean Tugel.
"Then I called Sean, who bought the horse because (Eclipse founder and president) Aron Wellman was out of town," Arnold said. "I called Sean because even though I'm sure he gets kudos from Aron and others, he's kind of behind-the-scenes. He's a good friend of mine, so I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that I thought he did a hell of a job."
Sweet Success
Candied is out of stakes winner Toni Tools, by Roaring Fever. Toni Tools, who is inbred to Storm Cat 2x5, won an edition of the 2016 New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack while racing for the accomplished ownership group of St Elias, Teresa Viola Racing Stables, Brooklyn Boys, and MEB Stables and trainer Todd Pletcher.
Toni Tools initially sold for $35,000 to Crupi's New Castle Farm, agent, as a weanling at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale. Three years later, after the mare retired with three wins and two other placings from 10 starts and earnings of $193,339, Arnold would enter the picture when Toni Tools was offered at that same sale by consignor Sequel New York. Arnold's $15,000 bid would prevail.
"When I bought this mare, her second foal, by Nyquist , was pretty big and he had some problems. So one of the reasons for going to Candy Ride was that he's kind of a medium-sized horse," Arnold said. "So that's what we were trying to do and I'd always liked Candy Ride—from afar; not really having done anything with him. But the last three or four years I've sent some mares to him and I have a baby right now and a 2-year-old. He was a great racehorse and he's a great sire. He's a great sire of sires and a great broodmare sire. He speaks for himself."
Candied was born and raised at Buck Pond Farm before being sold for $165,000 to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Select Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Buck Pond Farm.
"We always liked this filly; very good, straightforward," Arnold said. "She was a filly that was a little bit more forward. That's why we put her in the July sale at Fasig. It made sense to put her there."
Candied would win her debut Aug. 20 in a six-furlong test at Saratoga Race Course before winning the Alcibiades. Her trainer, Pletcher, also conditioned Toni Tools.
"That was brilliant; those are the kinds of things we really covet," Arnold said. "For Todd to come down here and run in a grade 1 stakes race off that maiden win told us something. You don't just do that lightly."
Before Candied arrived on the track, Arnold sold Toni Tools at the 2022 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, where she was purchased (in foal to Shancelot ) for $15,000 by McMahon & Hill Bloodstock. While Arnold wishes he still had the mare, he said he was glad for his friend Mike McMahon.
"The great thing about this business is that he got her from me and one day I'll get one from him," Arnold said.
The good news is Arnold is still in Candied's family. While Buck Pond Farm had Toni Tools, she also produced a winning Street Sense filly named Wow Me Fast—a name Arnold landed on when a grandson sprinted through the house and noted his newfound abilities by commenting, "Wow, me fast." Arnold and Tom Dupree campaigned Wow Me Fast and this year the 4-year-old half sister to Candied produced a Justify colt that Arnold said would be offered as a short yearling at Keeneland January.
"This is a very nice colt," Arnold added.
Arnold likes the direction the Buck Pond Farm breeding operation is going, noting that its crop of yearlings was the best yet and has been surpassed by the crop of weanlings. Both are about 15 in number.
"I'm pretty happy with where we are," Arnold said. "It's been a big journey and we're glad we're here. It's fun."
Now the farm has a standout in Candied that can help carry the banner as the second horse bred by the Arnolds' Buck Pond Farm to start in the Breeders' Cup. That accomplishment thrills Arnold, who never needs reminding to smell the roses. The history and social connections of racing and breeding provide him joy.
"It's a fun game. We have now bred two grade 1 stakes winners at Keeneland," said Arnold of Candied following in the path of Next Shares. "I've always loved Keeneland; I grew up here eight minutes from Keeneland and have lived here all my life. So to win the Alcibiades is really a dream come true for me."
The Arnolds purchased Buck Pond Farm in 1994. The property boasts a long and storied history of accomplished Thoroughbreds including being the home of a pair of Kentucky Derby winners in 1902 victor Alan-A-Dale and 1979 Derby winner Spectacular Bid. Now the farm, as breeder, has a chance to add a Breeders' Cup winner.
