D'Amato splitting up Midnight Storm, Obviously

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Phil D’Amato nominated Midnight Storm and Obviously to Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Del Mar Mile but will take the divide-and-conquer approach with those two grass runners. Midnight Storm will run here, while Obviously will head out of town.

Midnight Storm won the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes on July 17, his fourth win in five starts on this course. He completed his preparation for the Del Mar Mile with a five-furlong drill in 1:01.40 on the main track Sunday.

D’Amato on Monday said that Obviously, the winner of the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont Park in his lone start this year, would return to New York for the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga on Sept. 5 or go to Woodbine on Sept. 17 for the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile, a race in which he finished third last year.

In addition to Midnight Storm, the Del Mar Mile is expected to include Hootenanny, Jimmy Bouncer, Om, and possibly Calculator.