A dominating 4¼ lengths winner over Medina Spirit in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Rock Your World is by Candy Ride – an outstanding sire, and now sire of sires of Gun Runner and Twirling Candy – out of the graded-winning and grade one-placed Empire Maker mare, Charm The Maker.

The most prolific cross for Candy Ride and sons has been with Storm Cat line mares, this already having produced more than 50 stakes winners. Rock Your World’s second dam is by a son of Storm Cat, but that only results in a cross in the fifth generation on the sire’s side in Rock Your World’s offspring. Candy Ride sired Horse of the Year Gun Runner out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway, sire of the second dam of Rock Your World. The Candy Ride line cross with mares by Giant’s Causeway son by Cowboy Cal, has produced classic winner Rombauer and Grade one winner Gunite (inbred to Giant’s Causeway). There is a Candy Ride-line stakes winner out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway son Eskendereya, and he can also be brought in through Not This Time (who has crossed well over Candy Ride), First Samurai and Creative Cause. There is a Gun Runner grade one winner, Echo Zulu, out of a mare by Menifee (byHarlan, sire of Harlan’s Holiday, and grandsire of Into Mischief), and a Gun Runner graded winner and grade one performer, Pappacap, out of a mare by Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg, a son of Hennessy, whose son, Henny Hughes, is also broodmare sire of a Candy Ride-line stakes winner). The Candy Ride-line cross with mares by Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat, himself already broodmare sire of a Candy Ride stakes winner) has also worked particularly well. The 2023 two-year-old Grade one winner Candied is out of a mare by Roaring Fever (brother to Stormin Fever), and Grade one winner Capt. Candyman Can is out of a mare by Storm Creek. There are also Candy Ride line stakes winners out of mares by Forestry (sire of Shackleford and Discreet Cat), Tale of the Cat (sire of Lion Heart and Tale of Ekati, grandsire of Kantharos and Uncaptured), Stormy Atlantic, Yankee Gentleman, Cat Thief, Tabasco Cat, Sea of Secrets, Grand Reward, Bluegrass Cat, Consolidator, Pure Prize,With Distinction and Vision and Verse.

Storm Cat is a Northern Dancer-line horse and Candy Ride has also enjoyed success over mares from the Sadler’s Wells branch of this line. On this cross, a son of Candy Ride has a grade one winner out of a mare by Powerscourt, and there are stakes winners out of mares by King of Kings, Kitten’s Joy and El Prado, which suggests trying daughters of Medaglia d’Oro (sire of Violence and Warrior’s Reward) and Artie Schiller, and there is also a stakes winner out of a mare by King of Kings. It would also be possible to consider the Galileo branch, and his sons Magician and Capo Blanco both stood in North America.

Candy Ride and sons have sire more than 40 stakes winners out of A.P. Indy-line mares, seven of them Grade one. They include champion Game Winner out of a mare by A.P. Indy himself, and Grade one winners out of mares by Flatter (brother to Congrats), Malibu Moon, Old Trieste, First Dude (by Stephen Got Even), Stroll and Tapit (sire of Constitution, Frosted, Concord Point, Tapizar, Tonalist, Tapiture and Trappe Shot). Stroll and Tapit are by Pulpit, himself broodmare sire of three Candy Ride line stakes winners which would also make Sky Mesa and Corinthian (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line stakes winner) a possibility. There are also four Candy Ride-line stakes winners, two graded, out mares by A.P. Indy son, Mineshaft, sire of Dialed In and Discreetly Mine), two graded stakes winners out of mares by Bernardini (sire of Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve), also suggesting daughters of such as Jump Start and Majestic Warrior.

Rock Your World is a product of the very successful cross of Candy Ride – a Fappiano-line stallion – back over mares from the Fappiano line, in this case through Empire Maker. Fappiano on the sire’s side will be back in the fifth generation of Rock Your World’s foals, opening him up for another cross of that line. There are seven stakes winners by Candy Ride and his sons out of mares by Unbridled’s Song, including grade one winners Gift Box and Leofric. The cross of Candy Ride and sons with mares by sons of Unbridled’s Song has produced six stakes winners, including grade one winner Beyond Brilliant out of a mare by First Defence, graded stakes winner Danzing Candy out of a mare by Songandprayer, and stakes winners out of mares by Political Force and Rockport Harbor. Other sources of Unbridled’s Song include Liam’s Map, Cross Traffic, Midshipman, Old Fashioned, Zensational, Even The Score, Dunkirk, Arrogate, Half Ours and Buddha. Unbridled could also be brought in through Broken Vow. We also find Candy Ride grade one winner Finley’sluckycharm out of a mare by Victory Gallop from this line, and it could also be worth considering introducing Fappiano through Quiet American, the grandsire of Midnight Lute, and Rubiano, sire of Burning Roma and Too Much Bling.

Candy Ride and sons have five stakes winners out of mares by Distorted Humor, including graded scorers Intricate and Sugar Shock. In addition, Grade one winner Cyberknife is by a son of Candy Ride, out of mare by Distorted Humor son, Flower Alley, suggesting trying mares by other Distorted Humor sons such as Maclean’s Music, Jimmy Creed, Khozan, Brethren and Alternation. Distorted Humor is by Forty Niner – building on the Mr. Prospector/Tom Rolfe cross found in Cryptoclearance who is in the male-line of Candy Ride, and we can also find Forty Niner through Coronado’s Quest, broodmare sire of two Candy Ride-line stakes winners, as well as Banker’s Gold, Editor’s Note, End Sweep and his son, Trippi, Gold Fever, Roar and Tactical Advantage (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride-line grade one winner). There is also a stakes winner by Candy Ride out of a mare by Fusaichi Pegasus, who is bred on the same cross as Distorted Humor and is sire of Roman Ruler and Bandini.

Mr. Prospector son, Carson City, is a Mr. Prospector/Blushing Groom cross, like Candy Ride, and Candy Ride and sons have three winners, including stakes winners out of mares by Lord Carson and Flying Chevron. This suggests trying daughters of City Zip (whose son Run Away and Hide, would be interesting), Five Star Day, Cuvee and Pollard’s Vision.

Out of mares from the Gone West branch of Mr. Prospector, Candy Ride and sons have three stakes winners, including grade one winner Vekoma, out of mares by Speightstown (sire of Munnings and Central Banker) and three stakes winners out of mares by Mr. Greeley (sire of El Corredor and Whywhywhy). This would encourage trying mares descending from Gone West through Grand Slam (sire of Limehouse), Elusive Quality (sire of Quality Road, Smarty Jones and Great Notion) and Proud Citizen. From other branches of the Mr. Prospector, Candy Ride sired one of his best runners, Twirling Candy, out of a mare by Mr. Prospector son, Chester House, and has a stakes winner out of a mare by Kingmambo (sire of Lemon Drop Kid). Candy Ride has a grade two winner out of a mare by Street Cry (sire of Street Sense and Street Boss).

There appears to be a very strong affinity for Candy Ride and sons for mares descending from Caro. There are nine stakes winners by Candy Ride and sons out of mares from the male-line of Indian Charlie’s sire, In Excess. This includes grade one winner Geaux Rocket Ride out of a mare by Uncle Mo (sire of Nyquist, Laoban and Outwork) which also suggests introducing mares by Indian, who is also sire of Adios Charlie, Cindago (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line stakes winner) Bwana Charlie, Liaison and Cinco Charlie, and his sire, In Excess is also sire of Rocky Bar, Notional and Bring the Heat (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line stakes winner). We can also note thatCozzene is a Caro son who is broodmare sire of a Candy Ride stakes winner, and he is the sire of Mizzen Mast.

There is a stakes winner out of a mare by Closing Argument, and a trio of stakes winners, two graded by Candy Ride and sons out of mares by that horse’s sire, Successful Appeal. There is a son of Valid Appeal, also sire of Valid Wager and Valid Expectations. There are also two stakes winners by Candy Ride out of mares by Arch (sire of Blame).