Can Crupper finally settle unfinished business for the great Candy Ride?

This Saturday in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park, he will attempt to give the Argentine superstar his first victory in a Triple Crown race

LAUREL, Maryland (Special to Turf Diario).- It sounds strange, but it remains reality nonetheless. Candy Rideconquered virtually everything as a stallion, yet one major item still remains unchecked on his extraordinary résumé: producing a winner of an American Triple Crown race.

He has already achieved it through his grandsons, but none of the direct sons of the Argentine superstar has yet captured the Kentucky Derby (G1), the Preakness Stakes (G1), or the Belmont Stakes (G1). This Saturday at Laurel Park, he will receive another opportunity to break through that barrier thanks to Crupper, one of the confirmed starters in the second jewel of the series.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Emerging Market tried without much success at Churchill Downs. Now it will be the turn of the bay colt owned by Robert Zoellner, who will attempt to write a historic page for Argentine bloodlines.

Of course, he does not rank among the leading favorites. His 30-1 morning-line odds say plenty about that. Still, there are reasons to dream of a strong performance, especially after the best victory of his career in the Bathhouse Row Stakes (L)at Oaklawn Park.

Bred by Zoellner himself and trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel, Crupper has already shown effectiveness over a distance similar to the Preakness’s 1900 meters, will arrive fresh for the assignment, and also boasts an exceptional pedigree.

His dam is She’s All In (Include), remembered for victories such as the Sixty Sails Handicap (G3) and for finishing second in the Delaware Handicap (G1).

The bay is also a maternal brother to stakes winner She’s All Wolfe (Magna Graduate) and to G2-placed runner and current stallion Bolzy (Gun Runner).

He will break from post 3 with Venezuelan rider Junior Alvarado, one of the most dependable jockeys on the North American circuit, aboard.

Up to this point, the best performance by a son of Candy Ride in the American Triple Crown remains Gun Runner’sthird-place finish in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, the edition won by Nyquist (Uncle Mo).