Midnight Lute

Midnight Lute
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo

2003, Real Quiet - Candytuft, by Dehere

Breeder: Tom Evans, Macon Wilmil Equines, and Marjac Farms (Ky.)

Owner: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Regular Rider: Garrett Gomez

Pedigree

Midnight Lute
Real Quiet
Candytuft
Quiet American
Really Blue
Dehere
Bolt From the Blue
Fappiano
Demure
Believe It
Meadow Blue
Deputy Minister
Sister Dot
Blue Times
Berkut

Purchase Info

Consigned to 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale by Trackside Farm, agent. Purchased for $70,000 by Caldera Racing.

Subsequently consigned to March 2005 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. selected two-year-olds in training sale by Eddie Woods, agent, but failed to meet his reserve with a top bid of $290,000.

Pedigree Highlights

Click on the highlighted stallion name near the top of the page to go to the Thoroughbred Times Stallion Directory page for Real Quiet.

Dam Candytuft was unraced and to date her three foals to race are all winners. Midnight Lute is her first stakes winner.

Second dam Bolt From the Blue won the 1983 E. P. Taylor Stakes (Can-G2) and a division of the 1984 La Prevoyante Handicap (G3). She is a half sister to Alydar's Best, the 1984 second highweighted two-year-old filly in France and Ireland who placed in the 1985 Yellow Ribbon Invitational Stakes (G1).

Race Record

AgeStarts1st2nd3rdEarnings 
34211$212,000
46220$1,368,000

At 3: 1– Perryville S. (G3), 3– Malibu S. (G1)

At 4: 1– TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), Forego S. (G1), 2– Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile H. (G1), San Fernando Breeders' Cup S. (G2)

Last Start

Won Forego S. (G1) on Sept. 1 at Saratoga

Contender Status

Midnight Lute was an impressive winner of the Forego Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on September 1, and the strength of his performance was not lost on jockey Shaun Bridgmohan who was a last minute substitute for Edgar Prado, who suffered an ankle injury two races earlier.

"I just went out there and did what [trainer Bob Baffert] asked me to do," Bridgmohan said. "The main thing was to get him away from the gate. He is such a big horse that he breaks a little sloppy. He had his ears pricked forward and was just enjoying himself. When I called on him, he dug in."

Baffert recognizes that the Real Quiet colt is not a true sprint horse. The Forego was at seven furlongs, a distance at which he has won three of his four career victories. His only six furlong victory came in his maiden debut at Del Mar in 2005.

"It's not ideal, but if you get away in the Sprint, you have a chance," Baffert said in reference to the TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). "I think I can freshen him up and sharpen him up, and if it doesn't work, we've got the [Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (G1)] after that. I want to stretch him out again next year.

"For right now, I just thought we should take a shot in the Sprint. If he wins that, he'll be sprint champion. The way he ran [in the Forego] was pretty incredible."

Recent Works

October 16 - Four furlongs handily in :46.40 at Santa Anita Park, all-weather track fast. Best of 24 workouts at the distance.

October 10 - Six furlongs handily in 1:09.80 at Santa Anita Park, all-weather track fast. Best of 16 workouts at the distance.

September 30 - Four furlongs handily in :46.60 at Santa Anita Park, all-weather track fast. Best of 38 workouts at the distance.

September 20 - Four furlongs breezing in :46.60 at Santa Anita Park, all-weather track fast. Third best of 28 workouts at the distance.