Storm’ D’Amato’s New Obviously?
Updated: July 21, 2015 at 4:17 pm
The talented Obviously (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) helped to jump start the career of former Mike Mitchell assistant Phil d’Amato when he went out on his own, with back-to-back front-running successes in the GI Shoemaker Mile S. While that one has faded into the sunset, the d’Amato barn has a new speedball in the form of Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile), who looks to give the conditioner a third consecutive score in the Shoemaker, a ‘Win and You’re In’ test for the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile.
A maiden winner in five starts over the main track, the dark bay has undergone a transformation with a switch to the infield and positive riding tactics. A first-level allowance winner in his turf debut at Del Mar last August, he belied odds of 17-1 to post a 3 1/4-length victory in the GII Del Mar Derby Aug. 31 before going missing. He was nothing short of sensational in his Apr. 16 return to action over this course and distance, shaking loose to score by 7 3/4 lengths, covering the mile in 1:33.31. None of the four signed on against him Saturday afternoon looks to possess anything close to the speed of Midnight Storm and it could be over soon after the break.
Brazilian Triple Crown hero Bal a Bali (Brz) (Put It Back) steps up to Grade I company as he tries to make it 13 wins in 14 career appearances. The Southern Hemisphere 4-year-old, who overcame a near-death experience with laminitis (click here for T.D. Thornton’s story), made a favorable impression in his U.S. debut in the GIII American S. May 9, knifing between horses en route to a one-length defeat of Talco (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}).
Third to Midnight Storm in the Del Mar Derby, Talco seems to have turned the corner this season, as he charged home for a Mar. 12 allowance victory before besting Winning Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) in the Thunder Road S. Apr. 4.
Seek Again (Speightstown), victorious in the GI Hollywood Derby in 2013, won last year’s GII Fourstardave H. last August and nearly took down the colors of dual Horse of the Year Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry) in the GI Turf Classic earlier in the year. He cuts back to the mile off a fourth–placed third–in this year’s Turf Classic May 2.