Cedartown, who won his stakes debut in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby last week in New Mexico, is settled in at Fair Grounds and is a candidate for some of the track's route stakes, according to trainer Michael Stidham. Cedartown earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96 for his Zia Derby, a mile and a sixteenth race that he won in 1:43.60. 

Cedartown is a son of Candy Ride. He is from the same mare that produced multiple Grade 2 winner Danzing Candy, while his second dam produced $4.3 million earner Better Talk Now. Cedartown is owned by Godolphin and has now won three of six starts and $204,200. 

"Certainly he's bred to be any kind and we'll see how far it takes us," Stidham said. "Obviously, long range, we hope that he's good enough to eventually point toward a race like the New Orleans Handicap in March. Along the way, we'll run in some of the stakes leading up to that race." 

More to come from Stidham at www.drf.com