Midnight Disguise marquee horse in Gazelle

It’s no secret Midnight Disguise is the lead horse in the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct on Saturday, and she’ll be bet accordingly.

Four for five in her career, and winner of the $200,000 Busher and $100,000 Busanda at the Big A in her last two starts, Midnight Disguise is tied for fourth on the points list to qualify for the Kentucky Oaks. She is the only member of the six-horse Gazelle field to have tried 1 1/8 miles, the distance of the Busanda and Gazelle.

Midnight Disguise is owned and was bred by the husband and wife team of William Wilmot and Joan Taylor, who operate Stepwise Farm in Saratoga. She is a younger half-sister to Holiday Disguise, a multiple stakes winner in her own right, whom trainer Linda Rice purchased on behalf of Lady Sheila Stable for $220,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of New York-bred preferred yearlings.

“I had Holiday and the Wilmots sent me Midnight at Saratoga last summer,” Rice said. “She was very big, the type of filly that would obviously take some time to come together. At first she was awkward in her works, switching leads and things, but she has continued to improve in her works and races, and is getting better and better.”

As is her style, Midnight Disguise can be expected to settle and then make a big run, just as she did to win the one-mile Busher in her most recent race.

“Shortening her up to a mile, frankly I was quite pleased with her effort,” Rice said.

If Midnight Disguise runs well in the Gazelle, Rice said the Oaks is “something we’ll definitely discuss.”

Although Midnight Disguise already is assured an Oaks berth, 170 points will be distributed to the first four Gazelle finishers on a 100-40-20-10 basis.

Among Midnight Disguise’s five opponents in the Gazelle, for 3-year-old fillies, is Parx-based Smokinpaddylassie. She is undefeated in three starts, all for trainer Eddie Coletti Jr., who would like to proceed to Louisville with her. She will be stretching out from a one-turn mile victory in the Beyond the Wire Stakes at Laurel Park.

“I don’t think the distance is going to hurt her,” Coletti said. “I gallop her two miles and she doesn’t seem to mind. I’ve breezed her around both turns.”

Smokinpaddylassie is quick, and should either be on or close to the lead. She may not prove easy to reel in.

The field also includes the second- and third-place finishers from the Busher – Sara Street, who is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, and My Miss Lilly, who races for Mark Hennig.

Sara Street momentarily took the lead in upper stretch of the Busher but could not contain Midnight Disguise, who drew off by 1 3/4 lengths.

My Miss Lilly was hampered when she hit the side of the gate at the start of the Busher. She then ran into traffic behind Sara Street in upper stretch and had to wait for a moment and then alter course outside.

Todd Pletcher has entered Virginia Key and Mo Shopping.

Virginia Key won her debut going two turns at Tampa, hinting she might enjoy nine furlongs. Mo Shopping finished third to Smokinpaddylassie in the Beyond the Wire.