Candy Ride’s Enduring Legacy Shines Brighter with Two New Breeders’ Cup Stars

His Sons Valiant Minister and Gun Runner Produced Bentornato and Super Corredor, Winners of the Sprint (G1) and Juvenile Fillies (G1), Respectively, Last Saturday at Del Mar

Valiant Minister, Undefeated—Just Like His Sire / BRIDLEWOOD FARM

By Diego H. Mitagstein

The 2025 season once again underlined that Candy Ride is no relic of the past, but a living pillar of modern breeding. With two Breeders’ Cup winners produced by his sons, the Argentine-bred phenomenon continues to stand tall as an architect of champions.

Perfect in six career starts, Candy Ride not only left a record-breaking mark on the racetrack but also cemented his status as a world-class stallion. From his humble beginnings at Hill ’n’ Dale Farm to becoming one of the cornerstones of Lane’s End Farm, his rise has been both steady and spectacular.

More importantly, Candy Ride has proven himself an elite sire of sires—producing not only champions but also sons and daughters who are now transmitting that brilliance to their own progeny.

One of the weekend’s standout stories at Del Mar came from Valiant Minister, one of Candy Ride’s most promising stallion sons, who is rapidly gaining momentum at stud. His son Bentornato delivered a dazzling victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, under trainer José Francisco D’Angelo and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., adding another jewel to the expanding Candy Ride legacy.

Standing at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida, the striking gray was a $600,000 OBS 2-year-old purchase who, due to physical issues, raced only once—but in remarkable style. Trained by Bob Baffert, Valiant Minister made his lone appearance at age four, winning a six-furlong maiden at Santa Anita Park in a blistering 1:08.84. A grandson of Deputy Minister and GI winner Lunar Spook (Silver Ghost), he has made the most of limited opportunities and now stands for an accessible $4,000 fee for 2026.

Despite his brief career, Valiant Minister has already produced several talented runners, including stakes winners Outfoxed and Loco Abarrio, along with stakes-placed Brit’s Candyman and Iron Hand—and now, a Breeders’ Cup winner.

Gun Runner: The Power of Continuity

Perhaps the most visible heir to Candy Ride’s throne is Gun Runner, a stallion who has established himself as one of America’s elite sires through sheer quality and consistency. His 2025 Breeders’ Cup performance underscored that dominance, highlighted by Super Corredora’s emphatic triumph in the GI Juvenile Fillies, and supported by his offspring finishing prominently across the card.

Standing at Three Chimneys Farm for an increased $250,000 fee for 2026, Gun Runner continues to elevate his profile. Super Corredora, ridden by Chilean jockey Héctor Berríos, became his 12th Grade I winner, joining a list that includes Sierra Leone, Cyberknife, Taiba, Vahva, Echo Zulu, Gunite, Society, Locked, Early Voting, Gun Pilot, and Brant.

Gun Runner’s Breeders’ Cup weekend was superb beyond that single win—Sierra Leone finished second in the GI Classic, Vahva was runner-up in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint, and Brant took third in the GI Juvenile.

The Evolution of a Dynasty

Candy Ride’s enduring influence lies in his versatility: he passes on speed, stamina, and soundness—qualities that thrive on both dirt and turf, across distances and generations. His genetic profile, relatively free of the overused Northern Dancer strain, makes him an invaluable outcross for breeders seeking to diversify their bloodlines.

Many of his best runners have emerged from crosses with mares descending from Storm Cat and A.P. Indy, a pattern that has become a hallmark of his success.

What sets Candy Ride apart is not just the quality of his own offspring, but the evolutionary continuity of his line. His sons are producing champions, and now a third generation of Candy Ride’s legacy is beginning to emerge in U.S. breeding sheds.

For breeders and owners, Candy Ride remains a proven and powerful investment: a stallion whose legacy grows deeper with every season. With sons like Gun Runner and Valiant Minister carrying the torch—and winning at the sport’s highest level—the Candy Ride engine continues to drive the future of global bloodstock.

For horsemen and fans alike, the lesson is simple: Candy Ride is not just part of history—he is history in motion. And as long as his sons and grandsons keep winning Breeders’ Cups, his brilliance will remain as timeless as ever—a lasting source of pride for Argentine and South American racing.