Twirling Candy tries to steal the show in Hollywood Gold Cup

With the absence of retired Zenyatta, thoroughbred racing has been searching for a horse to provide star power, and Twirling Candy could be ready to come to the rescue.

“He’s one of the most talented horses I’ve ever trained,” John Sadler said.

Twirling Candy, a 4-year-old son of Candy Ride, is the 4-5 favorite for the biggest race of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, the $500,000 Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup on Saturday at 11/4 miles.

Set to be run as the eighth race in a 10-race card, the Hollywood Gold Cup brings together eight top older horses bidding for a guaranteed spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will try to upset Twirling Candy by sending out his two “Dudes,” as in First Dude and Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude, whose jockey, Chantal Sutherland, will become the first woman to ride in the Gold Cup.

Also in the race is the 6-year-old mare Miss Match, who could become the first female horse to win the Gold Cup since Princessnessian in 1968.

The versatile Twirling Candy has won seven of his nine racesat distances from 61/2 furlongs to 11/8 miles, piling up $684,900 in earnings.

He also can have a mind of his own. He bolted in the Del Mar Derby last year but still won. He had trouble rating in the Goodwood Stakes and faded to fourth. He was bumped in the stretch of the Santa Anita Handicap and finished fifth.

Sadler removed blinkers from Twirling Candy in his last race, the Californian on June 4, and Twirling Candy responded with a blistering stretch run and won going away by 11/4 lengths.

Jockey Joel Rosario has been his rider the last four races while working with him in the morning and says Twirling Candy is settling down.

“The blinkers off helped get him to relax,” Rosario said. “He’s a talented horse. I think he can do anything.”

Saturday’s card also will include the $150,000 Grade II Swaps Stakes for 3-year-olds at 11/8 miles. Coil, another Baffert trainee, is coming off a victory in the Grade III Affirmed Handicap on June 11.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com