Shidabhuti Returns A Winner in G3 Distaff

Peter Brant’s Shidabhuti (4f Practical Joke x A.P. Candy, by Candy Ride) won a stakes for the second straight season on Saturday with a victory in the Grade III Distaff Stakes at Aqueduct.

Making her 2024 debut, the filly broke widest of all and pushed the leader out of the chute before settling a few lengths behind. Switched to a rail position under Dylan Davis, Shidabhuti had a few lengths to close to catch up to the three duelers in the lead, but she was up for the task.

It took her nearly the full stretch, but she got up just a few strides from the wire to win by half a length.

It was the fourth win in seven starts for the Chad Brown-trained 4-year-old, who has earned $339,350 in her career.

"She ran great,” Brown said. “She had a bit of a duel in front of her which really helped her late run there. I was really proud of the horse off the layoff. I thought maybe she needed a race and we could get a nice piece of this and move forward off of it, but as the duel developed it became clear she had a chance to win. It was a good set up for her and she ran great. My team did a great job with her.”

The filly was a $310,000 Keeneland September purchase by Brant and was bred by Gabriel Duignan and Gerry Dilger.

Shidabhuti is one of two stakes performers for A.P. Candy alongside the stakes placed Knox Court. A.P. Candy is a half-sister to the stakes winner and multiple group placed Wind Fire, who has produced the stakes placed Air Force Jet, and to Uncle Mo’s stakes-placed Bloodline.

Grade I winning third dam Dream Supreme is also the dam of Grade I winner Majestic Warrior among her five stakes performers. Multiple daughters and granddaughters have also produced stakes performers.

Practical Joke leads all fourth crop sires with six stakes winners and 11 stakes performers in 2024. The stallion also leads his generation by graded stakes performers, winners, and wins this year.