Midnight Lucky digs up Grade 1 win in Acorn

Midnight Lucky was back to her brilliant best (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s Midnight Lucky set the early pace in the Kentucky Oaks last out before fading to fifth. On Monday, the Bob Baffert filly tracked behind the leading Momentary Magic for the opening half-mile of the Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn at Belmont Park before taking over and drawing off for a 6 1/4-length score. Jockey Rosie Napravnik bided her time on Midnight Lucky as Momentary Magic set splits of :22 2/5 and :45 1/5. Kauai Katie, the 8-5 second choice to Midnight Lucky’s even-money favoritism, kept in close contact while running along the rail. That bay miss fell back a bit but re-rallied as Close Hatches ran up to be widest of all in a four-horse tandem that also included Momentary Magic, Midnight Lucky and Let Me Entertain U rounding the turn. Midnight Lucky and Close Hatches shook loose from the other competition, and the eventual winner easily pulled away in the lane to finish a mile on the fast dirt in 1:35. “We had a great trip,” Napravnik said. “I really liked the post position and we were able to sit off the speed. Kauai Katie actually kind of had to sit back, so it was good for us, too. This filly just did it very easily and she’s a very, very nice filly.”

Midnight Lucky was worth $4.20, $3.10 and $2.20 to her backers while doubling
her career earnings to $362,100. Close Hatches, who holds the distinction of
easily beating Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar in the Gazelle on April
6, had three-quarters of a length on Kauai Katie to take second. Cue the Moon
was another three parts of a length back in fourth and was followed under the
wire by Let Me Entertain U and Momentary Magic.

“I was expecting maybe (Kauai Katie) to be on the lead, not (Momentary Magic),
but other than that it shaped up as I expected,” assistant trainer Jim
Barnes remarked. “I wanted to be sitting
anywhere from 2 to 2 1/2 lengths off the pace, which we were. They were moving
right along, and at no point did it look like she was struggling with the
racetrack.

“She’s just a really nice filly and we’re so happy to train her.
The plan right now is day-by-day. We’ll go back to Churchill and go from
there.”

Midnight Lucky just made her racing debut in mid-February, breaking her
maiden at Santa Anita by 7 1/4 lengths. The gray daughter of Midnight Lute
followed up with an eight-length romp in the Sunland Park Oaks to earn her
shot in the Kentucky Oaks, but faltered in the lane and had to settle for
fifth in that contest. Her career mark now stands at 3-0-0 from four starts.

Bred in Kentucky by C. Kidder and J.K. & Linda Griggs, Midnight Lucky is out
of the Citidancer mare Citiview and counts as a half-sister dual stakes-placed
Songofthecity. Her second dam is the stakes-winning Allen’s Prospect mare
Prospective Joy, who found success in the breeding shed when producing
Citiview’s Grade 1-winning full sister Hookedonthefeelin.

That mare would capture the La Brea and Landaluce before going on herself to
foal multiple Grade 1 queen Pussycat Doll, Grade 1 victor Jimmy Creed, stakes
winner Funny Feeling and multiple stakes-placed Blowing Kisses.

Farther back, this female family is responsible for champion handicap horse
Bold Bidder, champion steeplechaser Top Bid and Epsom Oaks heroine Intrepidity.

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