Del Mar 2022: Midnight Memories holds on in Torrey Pines

Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Midnight Memories cruised along on an easy lead early in the one-mile Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Del Mar. But then she was challenged strongly by H and E Ranch’s race favorite Desert Dawn around the turn and through the stretch, causing the dark daughter of Mastery to dig down deep and find a reserve to hold off her challenger for rider Ramon Vazquez en route to a three-quarter length victory in the Grade 3, $125,500 test.

Click here for Del Mar entries and results.

The homebred miss was taking her first try with stakes types, and she proved up to the task for trainer Bob Baffert.

“I told Vaz (jockey Ramon Vasquez) I don’t know how far she’ll go, but just leave there and put her on the lead,” Baffert said. “I was afraid when Desert Dawn (came to her), because she has a lot of races under her belt. We’ve been high on this filly all along. I would have liked to run one-two-three, but it’s been a good day.”

Baffert’s Grace Adler ran third, and Under the Stars finished fifth.

Her $75,000 winner’s share of the purse pushed her bankroll up to $166,680. It was her third win in four starts. Desert Dawn, who went off at 6-5, held on for second, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Willow Grace Farm or Petersen’s Grace Adler.

The winning time for the race was 1:36.32.

Midnight Memories returned $13.00, $4.80 and $3.20. Desert Dawn paid $2.60 and $2.10. Grace Adler returned $3.60 to show.