Midnight Pleasure goes last to first in Forego Stakes
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Owner-trainer Mick Ruis began sending some of his horses from California to Kentucky last spring, feeling they would fit better in the Bluegrass State than out west. Among these horses was Midnight Pleasure, a talented gelding that was third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in summer 2016 but otherwise was stuck in a long losing streak.
The change in scenery brought a change of fortune. He won three races from seven starts in Kentucky last year, and Friday night at Turfway, he kicked off his 2019 campaign in style by winning the $50,000 Forego with a last-to-first rally under John McKee.
The Forego proved an exciting affair, with four horses finishing within a half-length of one another at the wire. While the result was close, with Midnight Pleasure winning by a neck, there was no doubt which horse was finishing best. It was Midnight Pleasure, surging down the center of the track, who caught inside-rallying longshot Mr Ashley, stalking Torazo, and midstretch leader Lanier.
A nose separated runner-up Mr Ashley from third-place Torazo, with Lanier a neck back in fourth.
Finishing seventh was favored Goneghost, who after dueling with Shadow Tracer through fractions of 22.40 seconds and 44.82, grew fatigued down the lane.
The contested fractions, meanwhile, worked in favor of Midnight Tracer. Still seven lengths off the pace after a half-mile, he was in high gear late, completing 6 1/2 furlongs on the track’s Polytrack surface in 1:17.08. He paid $18.
A 5-year-old son of Midnight Lute, Midnight Pleasure picked up a $29,140 payday in winning the Forego for Ruis, whose family competes under the ownership stable name of Ruis Racing.
