Midnight Storm Takes Streak into Del Mar Mile

A Venneri Racing and Little Red Feather Racing's Midnight Storm has been rolling of late, with back-to-back scores in the Shoemaker Mile (gr. IT) and Eddie Read (gr. IIT), but could face a challenge for his ideal spot at the front of the pack July 21 in the $200,000 Del Mar Mile (gr. IIT).

Although the field is short with only five runners, every entrant has shown speed in races, but none have done it at the top level like Midnight Storm. The Pioneerof the Nile   horse led at every point of call in both the Shoemaker Mile and Eddie Read, but trainer Phil D'Amato is confident the 5-year-old can stalk and pounce, as he did in his Seabiscuit Handicap (gr. IIT) victory in November at Del Mar.

BALAN: Midnight Storm Game in Eddie Read Win

"He looks to me on form to be the favorite," D'Amato said of Midnight Storm, who has four wins (including three graded stakes) from five starts on the Del Mar grass. "It's a little of an interesting dynamic with who's in there—a bunch of speed—but his confidence is at a high level. He's training well and if he wasn't doing super, I wouldn't run him here. I'd wait for the Breeders' Cup or run him in another prep."

To Midnight Storm's inside on the rail K.B. Sareen's Om, another who has done some of his best running on the Del Mar turf. The 4-year-old Munnings   colt showed an ability to stalk and pounce in the Mathis Brothers Mile (gr. IIT) in December at Santa Anita Park, but is winless in two 2016 starts. The Dan Hendricks trainee has hit the board in all three of his Del Mar turf tries, including a gate-to-wire score in the 2015 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT).

On the outside is Pamela Ziebarth's Ambitious Brew, a California-bred son of Tizbud   who has won state-bred stakes sprinting at Santa Anita and at a mile dirt at Los Alamitos Race Course, but has yet to find the winner's circle in a two-turn grass race.

Michael Lynch's Little Curlin has an allowance victory on the grass that came in March at Santa Anita, but has pressed or set the pace in his last two grass starts and just missed victory. Most recently he finished third, a neck back of the winner, in the Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar July 16.

The field is rounded out by Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's Ohio, who was defeated soundly by Midnight Storm in the Eddie Read, but might be able to benefit from a quick pace in the Del Mar Mile. The Elusive Quality   horse won his U.S. debut in frontrunning fashion back in a March allowance at Santa Anita, but also showed an ability to track early leaders and surge by in a June allowance at the Arcadia, Calif., racetrack.

As for the favorite's tactics, D'Amato said he'll leave that up to jockey Rafael Bejarano, who has been aboard for Midnight Storm's last two wins.

"If he wants the lead, he can have it with the speed he has," D'Amato said. "But I'll leave that up to Bejarano. I did the same in the first two races."