Taylor Made Stallions, in partnership with WinStar Farm, has entered an agreement to purchase the breeding rights to Grade 1-winning millionaire Midnight Storm upon retirement, it was announced Monday. The son of Pioneerof the Nile is currently targeting the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 3rd at Del Mar as his primary goal for 2017.
“Midnight Storm has absolutely everything you look for in a stallion prospect, and we are beyond excited about his potential at stud and Taylor Made having the opportunity to stand him after his racing career is complete,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor. “He’s a gorgeous horse, and by a budding superstar stallion in Pioneerof the Nile, who’s proven his impact with 2-year-old champions like American Pharoah and Classic Empire – both top classic horses. Cairo Prince is also showing commercially just how hot the sire line is.
“Midnight Storm possesses tremendous natural speed like American Pharoah did, and some of the speed figures he’s earned have proven just how gifted he is,” he added. “What I love about him is his versatility and soundness. You don’t see horses that can compete at the highest level and win major Graded races on both dirt and turf very often, and do so in very fast times. You also don’t see horses that fast hold up like he has, which is a tribute to his conformation and athleticism. This horse has it all.”
WinStar Farm’s Elliott Walden added: “We are excited for Midnight Storm to join the likes of Tiznow and Speightstown as stallions we have partnered with Taylor Made on. I love this horse’s brilliance, durability and consistency, which are qualities he gets from his sire Pioneerof the Nile.”
Campaigned by Alex Venneri Racing & Little Red Feather Racing, Midnight Storm is part of an elite group of sons by popular sire Pioneerof the Nile to become Grade 1-winning millionaires, joining champions American Pharoah and Classic Empire. The speedy and versatile miler owns seven Graded stakes victories on both dirt and turf, with six coming in Grade 1 and Grade 2 races. His high Beyer Speed Figure of 110 ranks second only to American Pharoah among the fastest progeny of Pioneerof the Nile.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Midnight Storm broke his maiden sprinting on dirt at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old before switching to the turf and reeling off three straight wins, including a dominant victory in the Del Mar Derby (G2) in his Graded stakes debut. He went on another streak in 2016, racking up consecutive wins in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) – defeating eventual Breeders’ Cup winner Tourist, Eddie Read S. (G2) and Del Mar Mile H. (G2) before finishing a valiant third after contesting a swift pace in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.
Midnight Storm closed out last season with a dominant 7 ¾-length win in the Native Diver S. (G3) on dirt at Del Mar, and began 2017 with a decisive front-running victory over Accelerate in the San Pasqual S. (G2) at Santa Anita. The striking dark bay has been runner-up in such top dirt races as the Santa Anita H. (G1) and, most recently, the Awesome Again S. (G1) in 2017. He earned a 107 Beyer for his ‘Big Cap’ performance, and boasts half a dozen Beyers of 105 or higher on dirt and turf from a mile to 1 ¼ miles.
A winner of 10 races from 26 starts to date, Midnight Storm currently has earnings of $1,783,110. He was bred in Kentucky by Alex Venneri and Marjorie Post Dye, and hails from the Bertrando mare My Tina.
