Midnight Storm taking a shot in Pacific Classic

DEL MAR, Calif. – The Del Mar meet began for the Little Red Feather Racing partnership with a party at the beachside home of one of its clients, went up a notch on Sunday, when their runners Chati’s On Top and Chaulk O Lattey finished one-two in the Solana Beach Handicap, and could reach the zenith on Saturday, when their Midnight Storm tries to pull off an upset in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic.

Midnight Storm has had most of his success on turf. He won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby here last summer and was second to Talco in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in June. But the biggest and richest race of the meet is a temptation too great to pass up, especially without a clear-cut standout.

“He’s doing great. We know we’re taking a shot, but you live for experiences like this,” Billy Koch, the founder and a managing partner of Little Red Feather, said Wednesday.

Koch and his childhood friend, Gary Fenton, founded Little Red Feather more than a decade ago and had almost immediate success with Singletary, who won the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Lone Star and set off a Texas-sized celebration. They have interests in 20 horses based at Del Mar this summer, spread among a number of trainers. For instance, Chati’s On Top is trained by Mike Puype, Chaulk O Lattey by Richard Baltas, and Midnight Storm by Phil D’Amato.

Little Red Feather bought into Midnight Storm after his win in the Del Mar Derby last Aug. 31, joining forces with the colt’s breeders, Alex Venneri and Marjorie Post Dye. He did not race again until April 16.

“He got sick, and Phil said, ‘Let’s take our time.’ He wanted him to grow up,” Koch said.

Midnight Storm returned with a runaway victory in a third-level allowance, was second in the Shoemaker Mile, then faded last time out in the Grade 1 Eddie Read over a rain-softened course here.

“He just didn’t like it,” Koch said.

Midnight Storm has worked well in four dirt drills since that race. He is by Pioneerof the Nile, the sire of American Pharoah. “His workouts have been sensational,” Koch said. “Sometimes you just have to take a shot.”

Midnight Storm landed the outside post in a field of 10 that was entered Wednesday for the Classic, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Midnight Storm is 20-1 on the morning line of Del Mar’s Russell Hudak, making him the co-longest shot along with Class Leader.

The champion mare Beholder is the 5-2 favorite. She drew post 9. Catch a Flight – like Beholder trained by Richard Mandella – is the second choice at 9-2.

The field, from the rail out, is Class Leader, Bailoutbobby, Bayern, Hard Aces, Red Vine, Imperative, Catch a Flight, Hoppertunity, Beholder, and Midnight Storm.