Midnight Memories overcomes layoff, kickback in Bayakoa Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. – A nine-month layoff was not an issue for Midnight Memories in Friday’s Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos.

What was a great concern to jockey Juan Hernandez was the way Midnight Memories reacted when she took dirt in her face with more than a quarter-mile remaining.

“Around the turn, the horse in front started hitting me with dirt,” Hernandez said. “It looked like I was done.”

When Hernandez positioned Midnight Memories into a clear path, the problem was solved. Midnight Memories rallied through the long stretch to take the lead in the final furlong and win her third stakes in the $101,000 Bayakoa for fillies and mares.

“I came through in the clear in the stretch,” Hernandez said.

Sent off favored, Midnight Memories ($4) caught 7-5 Desert Dawn with less than a furlong remaining to win by a length, finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.84.

“The horse in front had the jump on me,” Hernandez said. “I felt my filly take off again.”

Desert Dawn and Midnight Memories stalked pacesetter Violent Runner through early fractions of 23.86 seconds for the opening quarter and 47.60 for a half-mile.

Desert Dawn took the lead with a wide move on the turn and appeared on her way to victory under jockey Hector Berrios until Midnight Memories emerged as a threat.

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Phil D’Amato, who trains Desert Dawn, said Berrios told him after the race that “he moved too soon.”

Desert Dawn, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, held second, followed by Turnerloose, Ganadora, Smoothlikebuttah, Trouville, and Violent Runner.

Midnight Memories, a 4-year-old filly by Mastery, is out of Tiz Midnight, who won the 2014 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos, the only stakes win of her 11-race career.

Midnight Memories races for the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert. They were the owners and trainer of Tiz Midnight.

Midnight Memories has won 5 of 8 starts and earned $424,680.

Midnight Memories won consecutive stakes as a 3-year-old in 2022 – the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile at Del Mar and the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes against older fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

The Bayakoa Stakes was the first start for Midnight Memories since a third in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita in March.

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