Midnight Memories won’t be denied in Torrey Pines S. (G3)

Midnight Memories won a stretch-long duel with Desert Dawn in Sunday’s $125,000 Torrey Pines S. (G3) at Del Mar to give the Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old filly her first graded stakes win.

Baffert now has won the Torrey Pines seven times, tying him with John Sadler for the most in the history of the race.

Midnight Memories was making her first stakes start in the one-mile Torrey Pines. She broke very well and took the lead before entering the first turn and getting a quarter in :23.25. She was alone on the lead until Desert Dawn, winner of this year’s Santa Anita Oaks (G2), came along side on the final bend. The duo were right together until deep stretch, when Midnight Memories edged clear to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.32 on a fast track.

“She broke well and we were going easy on the lead,” winning rider Ramon Vazquez said. “Then when it came time, she dug in down the stretch. She’s a very nice filly.”

Making Memories has won three of four lifetime starts and earned $166,680. She is owned and bred by Mike Pegram, Paul Weitmean and Karl Watson. Baffert trained the filly’s dam Tiz Midnight to a win in the Bayakoa S. (G2) and also her second dam, the brilliant multiple Grade 1 winner Tough Tiz’s Sis.

Midnight Memories is the first stakes winner for her sire Mastery, who Baffert trained to a perfect 4-for-4 record, winning the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1), San Felipe S. (G2) and Bob Hope S. (G3). Mastery stands stud at Claiborne Farm.