Midnite Silver stretching out

ELMONT, N.Y. - Though all four of Midnite Silver's victories have come at 1 1/16 miles or shorter, trainer Carl Domino believes his 4-year-old son of Silver Deputy would appreciate running farther. Domino will find out if he is right on Wednesday when Midnite Silver stretches out to 1 1/4 miles in a classified allowance/optional claiming race that serves as the feature on Belmont Park's nine-race card.

A field of 11 was entered for the turf, with Dr. D.F.C. entered in the event the race is moved to the main track. Showers were in the forecast for Tuesday.

Midnite Silver was injured in his career debut as a 2-year-old and Domino took his time bringing him back. He raced in claiming and starter allowance races at 3 before facing some talented horses at the first-level allowance condition. He was beaten a half-length by Hymn Book, who put together a four-race win streak, and was beaten three lengths by Forgotten Dynasty, who had strung together consecutive victories.

After running over a speed-favoring Gulfstream surface in his 2010 debut, Midnite Silver closed to win a first-level allowance at Aqueduct before getting beat a neck by Lime Rickey last out May 15 when forced to check at the break and rally six wide in the stretch.

"With him we've been dying to see him run long," Domino said. "He has a very strong finish last quarter mile."

Angel Penna feels the same about his 6-year-old Uncle Indy, who was beaten just a neck by Midnite Silver when the two were second and third in that May 15 race.

Penna said Uncle Indy has run into traffic in shorter races. The one time Uncle Indy was ready to run long, he was beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream.

"Every time he runs a mile or a mile and a sixteenth, he checks or gets bumped," Penna said. "The only time he didn't get stopped was the Pan Am, and that was too tough. I'm looking forward to the mile and a quarter so he has a little more distance to get out off the rail."

Armstrong Hill, a son of Dynafomer, is coming off a first-level allowance win at Keeneland going 1 3/16 miles. Last year, in his first start, Armstrong Hill won a maiden race going 1 1/4 miles over Belmont's inner turf course. Ramon Dominguez, aboard for that victory, gets back on the horse for the first time since then on Wednesday.

Good Request, Conservative, and Slambino are other contenders in the field.