Midnight Watch Makes Stakes Debut in Lake George
Darley Stable’s fast and promising homebred Midnight Watch, front-running winner of back-to-back turf races this spring at Belmont Park, will make her stakes debut Wednesday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake George for 3-year-old fillies.
Midnight Watch made a poor debut at Gulfstream Park in February, breaking slowly, rushing up to the leaders and then fading to 11th. Given three months off by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Midnight Watch returned to the races May 5 and was a front-running winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden race. In her first allowance start, she led by as many as five lengths and held on to win by 1 ½ lengths after running greenly through the stretch.
The Beyer Speed Figures came back 84 and 83, respectively, for the two victories.
“She did get good figures on those two races, and she’s fast and Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] suits her well, so he’ll ride her,” McLaughlin said of Midnight Watch, by Stormy Atlantic out of an Unbridled mare. “So, they’ll have to catch us. She’s kind of a run-off type, but she’s doing so well. She’s fast and wants to go. Hopefully, somebody doesn’t go with us, and we go too fast. She’s a big, strong filly, and we’re high on her.”