Midnight Disguise back at better distance in Gazelle Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Midnight Disguise will go for her third consecutive stakes victory and her first in a graded event when she heads a field of six entered for Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Midnight Disguise is stretching back out to 1 1/8 miles, the distance at which she might have run her best race when she took the Busanda here on Jan. 25. The big, long-striding filly won the Busher going a one-turn mile here on March 3.

“I was a little nervous shortening her up to the mile, and was really pleased with how she came through that and in that race ran really true through the stretch,” trainer Linda Rice said. “She’s becoming so much more professional.”

Rice had considered also running Split Time, but said that stakes-winning filly spiked a fever and will have to skip the Gazelle.

Completing the field are Smokinpaddylassie, 3 for 3 racing in the Mid-Atlantic region for trainer Eddie Coletti, Sara Street, My Miss Lilly, Virginia Key, and Mo Shopping.

The Gazelle offers qualifying points (100-40-20-10) to its top four finishers for the Kentucky Oaks.