Santa Anita Derby winner Midnight Interlude may experiment on turf
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Midnight Interlude, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby in April, but 16th in the Kentucky Derby and 13th in the Preakness Stakes in May, has been entered in Friday’s $70,000 Tsunami Slew Stakes over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park.
Trainer Bob Baffert said on Sunday that he would assess the race and decide whether to start Midnight Interlude, who has never raced on turf. Owned by breeder Arnold Zetcher, Midnight Interlude has won 2 of 6 starts and $649,680.
Since the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21, Midnight Interlude has had two main track workouts at Santa Anita, including a half-mile in 50.80 seconds on Sunday.
“I liked the way he worked,” Baffert said.
Midnight Interlude is one of three stakes winners in the expected field of seven, which includes Extensive, the winner of the Florida Cup Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs; and Surrey Star, the winner of the La Puente Stakes at Santa Anita in April. Temple’s Door, unbeaten in two starts, makes his stakes debut in the Tsunami Slew, which is restricted to 3-year-olds.