Midnight Storm may ship in for Oaklawn Handicap

Midnight Storm could be headed to Arkansas.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said Tuesday that Midnight Storm, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Handicap, is being considered for the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 15. Midnight Storm, a Grade 1 winner and an earner of $1.6 million, is based at Santa Anita.

“We’re going to breeze him here this weekend, and then we’ll make a decision,” D’Amato said. “If we do decide to go, there’s a plane leaving Tuesday.”

Midnight Storm set the pace to the late stages in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap before finishing second to Shaman Ghost by three-quarters of a length March 11. D’Amato said the Oaklawn Handicap, run at 1 1/8 miles, is an attractive spot for a couple of reasons.

“It’s a distinguished race, the purse money is good, and the distance should be right in his wheelhouse,” D’Amato said. “We’ll decide after he breezes, but all those things kind of add to the appeal.”

Midnight Storm is owned by A Venneri Racing and Little Red Feather Racing. The horse also is nominated to the Grade 2, $1.25 million Charles Town Classic on April 22.

Weights for the Oaklawn Handicap are scheduled to be released Sunday. The race is one of four stakes on the closing-day card, led by the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. The stakes are part of the annual $3.45 million Racing Festival of the South, which features seven major races over the final three dates of the meet. The series starts next Thursday.

Catalano filly may try Fantasy

Trainer Wayne Catalano, who has a top Kentucky Oaks contender in Farrell, could be represented in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy next week at Oaklawn. Conquest Bandido is possible for the April 14 race that carries eligibility points for the Kentucky Oaks.

“We’re thinking about the Fantasy with Conquest Bandido,” Catalano said. “She ran a nice race last time. We’ll just see how it comes up.”

Conquest Bandido is coming off a dominant allowance-route win March 16 at Oaklawn.