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Midnight Storm takes down G1 Shoemaker Mile
- Updated: June 5, 2016
9:06 PM ET
ARCADIA, Calif. — Midnight Storm’s first five appearances in Grade 1 races ended in losses, ranging from a game second in the 2015 Shoemaker Mile to a last-place finish in the Pacific Classic last August.
There was no such disappointment in Saturday’s $400,345 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita. Midnight Storm ($11.20) took command of the turf race shortly after the start and held off a stubborn rival in the Kentucky shipper Tourist to win the most prestigious race of his career.
The stakes were high. The Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile was part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program for the BC Mile, giving Midnight Storm a fees-paid berth for the race here on Nov. 5.
A move by winning jockey Rafael Bejarano shortly after the start was arguably the difference. Breaking from the outside in a field of six, Bejarano urged Midnight Storm to the lead and held a one-length advantage through the first half-mile, setting quick fractions of 22.68 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46 seconds for a half-mile.
Heart to Heart, the 4-5 favorite who won two Grade 3 stakes at Gulfstream Park earlier this year, was expected to set the pace, but did not challenge Midnight Storm early. Instead, jockey …
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