Midnight Transfer 2 in 2 at Santa Anita targets the San Felipe
Unbeaten in two starts at the current Santa Anita meet, Midnight Transfer has won 2 of 5 starts, spending his juvenile season, restricted to only 3 starts, trying to break free from maiden special weight company in to stakes company. The newly turned 3-year-old colt did so at the backend of the season by breaking his maiden at third asking at Santa Anita on 26 December, 2011, at about 6 furlongs, under Joel Rosario.
His debut season started in fall of 2011, with a run in the maiden special weight race at Del Mar over the venue’s poly track at about five and a half furlongs, but Norm’s Passion kept Midnight Transfer at bay to win the race in a pulsating finish where Midnight Transfer was downed to second.
His next attempt was not as close as his first attempt at Santa Anita, where he finished a dismal sixth at about six and a half furlongs, ridden by Joe Talamo.
Jockey Joel Rosario came down as a savior for Midnight Transfer and his connections, as he has ridden the colt twice, and guided him to victories in as many starts.
The second start, coupled with Joel Rosario was Midnight Transfer’s 2012 seasonal debut. Aiming high in the Santa Anita winter-spring meet, Midnight Transfer achieved his first target of the meet by winning the San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita, over a distance of six and a half furlongs.
Trainer Carla Gaines said:
“He just loves this track.” And he would have to because Midnight Transfer is aiming to run in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes, where he will be stretched out in distance for the first time in his career to 1 1/16 miles.
The Grade 2 San Felipe will be run on 10 March, 2012, and Midnight Transfer will be going against Mike Harrington trained Creative Cause, who is coming off a third place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
The winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes, Out of Bounds is also pointed towards the race, and the Grade 3 Delta Downs Stakes' winner, Sabercat is among the 4 entered in the race till now.
The San Felipe is a major prep race for the all important $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, scheduled on 7 April, 2012.
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