Midnight Pleasure eyes Del Mar Futurity
DEL MAR, Calif. – Midnight Pleasure, the upset winner of a maiden race for 2-year-olds last Sunday, is likely to have his next start in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 5.
Midnight Pleasure gave trainer Shelbe Ruis, 25, her first win at Del Mar. In the spring, Ruis began training a stable owned by her parents, Mick and Wende.
Shelbe Ruis said she would prefer to wait for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs and skip the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 13.
“We don’t want to run three times down here,” she said. “I think it will work to give him more time.”
On Sunday, Midnight Pleasure ($43.80) closed from third in a field of eight to win a six-furlong race by 2 1/4 lengths over 9-5 favorite Dangerfield.
“We were surprised,” Ruis said. “We thought he might need more distance than that.”
Midnight Pleasure, by Midnight Lute, was purchased for $310,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction of 2-year-olds in training in April.
Ruis has 18 horses. She has the 2-year-old maidens Sergio and Union Strike scheduled to start on Saturday and Sunday. Union Strike, a filly by Union Rags, has been highly regarded by the stable in recent months. She was purchased for $375,000 at OBS in April.