Midnight Lucky Wins Humana Distaff

Saturday, Churchill Downs 
HUMANA DISTAFF S.-GI, $330,600, CDX, 5-3, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22 1/5, ft. 
1–MIDNIGHT LUCKY, 118, f, 4, by Midnight Lute 
     1st Dam: Citiview, by Citidancer 
     2nd Dam: Prospective Joy, by Allen’s Prospect 
     3rd Dam: Jovial Joy, by Rollicking 
($220,000 yrl ’11 FTSAUG). O-Karl Watson, Michael 
E Pegram & Paul Weitman; B-C & J Kidder & Linda 
Griggs (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Rosie Napravnik. 
$202,922. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $565,022. 
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the 
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
2–Street Girl, 118, f, 4, Street Hero–Kristy Beethoven, 
   by Kris S. ($550,000 HRA ‘13 KEENOV). O-Unlimited 
   Equine LLC; B-James C Spence (KY); T-Eddie 
   Kenneally. $65,459. 
3–Scherzinger, 120, f, 4, Tiz Wonderful– 
   Dancinandsingin, by A.P. Indy. ($16,000 2yo ‘12 
   FTKFEB). O-Mark DeDomenico LLC, Jerry 
   Hollendorfer, Jason Litt & Alex Solis II; B-MecCom 
   (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer. $32,729. 
Margins: 4HF, HF, 1. Odds: 1.60, 21.00, 6.50. 
Also Ran: Judy the Beauty, Speedinthruthecity, Iotapa. 
Scratched: Heart Stealer, Saturday Nthe Park. 
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO. 
   Midnight Lucky may have been the speed of the speed anyways in Saturday’s GI Humana Distaff, but a couple of early scratches only enhanced the tactical advantage she appeared to have on paper, and the gray filly took care of the rest. Drawn outside in the scratch-depleted field of six, Midnight Lucky jumped away fastest for Oaks-winning jockey Rosie Napravnik and was pressed along–but only mildly–by recent GI Madison S. winner Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper) and Iotapa (Afleet Alex) further out. With Napravnik just allowing last year’s 
   GI Acorn S. heroine to do her own thing up front, the half-mile was covered in :45.04, not overly taxing for a filly of her quality. With the quarter pole in sight, Napravnik let her mount drift out a few paths into the stretch, but she was clearly doing the best of the sextet and galloped home the easiest kind of winner. Street Girl came up the fence from last and grabbed second from Scherzinger down the center of the track. “She’s a great filly; a great filly,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who won this with Midnight Lucky’s close relative Pussycat Doll (Real Quiet) in 2006. “I know she can run on, but I’m going to keep her under a mile. That’s where she’s really good. I don’t know what I’ll do with her next, but the aim is to have her ready for the seven-eighths [$1-million GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita]. Going a mile or less, this filly is as good as any I have ever had.” Midnight Lucky earned the J “TDN Rising Star” J distinction with a 7 1/4-length maiden victory last February and added an eight-length success in the Sunland Park Oaks Mar. 24. She set a solid pace in the GI Kentucky Oaks, but couldn’t see out the trip and finished fifth, but atoned for that effort with a 6 1/4-length defeat of Close Hatches (First Defence) in the GI Acorn S. when last spotted May 27. So, about that 341-day absence? “I wasn’t concerned about putting her in a race like this off the layoff,” Baffert explained. “She’s that kind.”