Sweet win for Rockys Candy Shop

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 26, 2019) – It was a great prelude to a string of stakes races during the final all-Quarter Horse night at Indiana Grand Saturday, Oct. 26. Rockys Candy Shop and Jose Beltran bested an impressive field of nine in a $20,000 allowance carded as the fourth race of the night for his second win in five starts for 2019.

Starting from post eight, Rockys Candy Shop got a good break from the gate and led the entire way, holding off a plethora of horses at the wire to win by a neck. Beltran only used the whip once in the 350-yard sprint, hand riding him to the wire. Beach Bum Eddie and L.D. Martinez finished second just a head in front of WH Kenny G and Oscar Macias. A total of four lengths separated the entire field from first to last, showing the talent in the field which included several former Indiana champions.

Owned by Tammy and Lance Finlinson of Greenwood, Ind., Rockys Candy Shop now has nine career wins and pushed his career earnings over the $175,000 mark. The four-year-old son of Fantastic Corona Jr is trained by John McCreary. Bred by Stanley Forbes, Rockys Candy Shop was a divisional champ in Indiana last year at three, winning numerous stakes and earning five wins in seven starts.

A surprise to a lot of bettors, Rockys Candy Shop paid $15.40, $5.40, $4.40 across the board for his win. The royally bred gelding is a son of Jesses Candy, who is a full sister to Jess Send Candy, dam of Jess Good Candy, winner of more than $2 million and went a perfect eight for eight in 2015 and 2016, including a win in the Grade I $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.

The race led into the first of four stakes races on the nine-race program during a rainy, windy night. More than $600,000 in purses were offered during the card, marking the richest night of Quarter Horse racing in the state of Indiana.