Midnight Storm needs to get one more furlong

DEL MAR, Calif. – Midnight Storm, a winner last time out in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, will attempt to stretch his speed to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2, $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes for grass runners Sunday.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Midnight Storm owns three wins in four starts over this course, with his lone loss coming in last year’s Eddie Read, which was run over a rain-softened course.

The Eddie Read looks to have a strong field, with such high-class runners as Ashleyluvssugar, Bolo, Finnegans Wake, Flamboyant, and Si Sage expected. Ohio, Patentar, and Twentytwentyvision also are probable. Twentytwentyvision was second and Finnegans Wake third in the Eddie Read last year to the now-retired Gabriel Charles.

Flamboyant worked four furlongs on the Del Mar turf course Tuesday in 49.20 seconds, which tied for the fastest of 11 works at the distance.

Finnegans Wake worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on Tuesday at San Luis Rey Downs, where trainer Peter Miller is based.