Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Cupid might try Suburban
ARCADIA, Calif. – Cupid, winner of the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 27 in his first start of 2017, could start in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 8, trainer Bob Baffert said Friday.
The $750,000 Suburban Handicap is run at 1 1/4 miles on dirt, the same distance as the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
“If he’s going good, I’m thinking of the Suburban,” Baffert said.
Owned by the Coolmore team of Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith, Cupid has had one workout since the Gold Cup at Santa Anita. He went a half-mile in 46.80 seconds here June 11, the fastest of 99 works at the distance that day.
Cupid, 4, has won 5 of 10 starts and earned $1,636,803. The Gold Cup at Santa Anita was Cupid’s fourth stakes win and his first in a Grade 1. Last year at 3, Cupid won three Grade 2 races, including the West Virginia Derby by four lengths last August.
Baffert said after the Gold Cup that he planned to keep Cupid away from stable star Arrogate, who won the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January and the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in March.
Arrogate is in training for an expected start in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 22.
Midnight Storm back to turf
Midnight Storm is returning to turf after three consecutive losses on dirt. Trainer Phil D’Amato said this week that the 6-year-old Midnight Storm will be pointed to the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on July 22 or the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 20. Midnight Storm won both races in 2016.
Owned by Alex Venneri and Little Red Feather Racing, Midnight Storm was later third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf at Santa Anita. He won the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes on dirt at Del Mar in November and the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 1.
More recently, Midnight Storm was second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, third in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in April, and fourth in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 27, all dirt races.
“We’ll switch back to the grass,” D’Amato said. “We’ve got a graded stakes win on dirt.
“We want to freshen him and point for his best spot in the Breeders’ Cup.”
The Breeders’ Cup will be held at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4. D’Amato considers Midnight Storm a candidate for the BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 3 or the BC Mile on Nov. 4.
By Pioneerof the Nile, Midnight Storm has won 10 of 24 starts, including seven stakes, and earned $1,711,110.
Dubai-raced mare eyes Del Mar
Lindo Amor, third in two stakes at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai this year, has joined trainer Paulo Lobo’s stable and will have his American debut during the Del Mar summer meeting.
The Del Mar meeting runs July 19 to Sept. 4.
Lindo Amor was second in a Group 1 race in Argentina in 2016. In Dubai this year, Lindo Amor was third in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes in February and 10th in the Group 3 Burj Nahaar on March 4, with both races at a mile on dirt.
Lindo Amor worked six furlongs in 1:15.40 on Friday, the fourth work at Santa Anita for the 5-year-old since late May. An Argentine-bred by Dynamix, Lindo Amor has won 3 of 11 starts.
In other workouts on Friday, American Gal worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, the fastest of 40 works at the distance. She is unraced since a second in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos last December.
American Gal was trained by Bob Baffert last year but joined Simon Callaghan’s stable this year after briefly being trained by Doug O’Neill. Callaghan said Friday that American Gal will be considered for two races at 6 1/2 furlongs next month – the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 8 or the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park on July 9.
Donworth, unraced since finishing third in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in April 2016, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60. O’Neill said Donworth is a candidate for the Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes, a $100,000 race at 1 1/16 miles on June 24.
American Freedom, second to Arrogate in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes last August, worked a half-mile in 46.60 seconds for Baffert. American Freedom was fifth behind Cupid in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 27.