Fresh from a resounding wire-to-wire victory in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in early June, Midnight Storm will pack highweight of 124 pounds versus eight formidable rivals in the 43rd running of the Grade II $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes Sunday at Del Mar.
Rafael Bejarano has the mount on 5-2 morning line favored Midnight Storm, the five-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile who won the Shoemaker Mile in a fast 1:33 2/5, his seventh success in 17 lifetime outings. As a three-year-old, he showed his affection for the Del Mar grass in winning the Del Mar Derby.
Lining up against Midnight Storm in the nine-furlong grass race will be Ashleyluvssugar, 120, Gary Stevens; Flamboyant, 122, Flavien Prat; Texas Ryano, 120, Joe Talamo; Si Sage, 122, Victor Espinoza; Finnegans Wake, 122, Tyler Baze; Ohio, 120, Brice Blanc; Patentar, 120, Alonso Quinonez, and Bolo, 122, Mike Smith.
Supporting feature of a ten-race program is the $75,000 Sandy Blue Handicap for three-year-old fillies, also at a mile and one-eighth on the turf. Cheekaboo is the 5-2 early favorite.
Post time for the first race is 2 p.m.