Midnight Memories wins comeback in Bayakoa S. (G3)

Midnight Memories, who was making her first appearance since early March, made a triumphant return to the races on Dec. 15 at Los Alamitos with a one-length win in the Bayakoa S. (G3)

A two-time graded stakes winner in 2022, Midnight Memories now sports a record of 5-0-2 in eight starts and has earned $424,680 for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.

Midnight Memories sat a few lengths off the leaders for most of the 1 1/16-mile trip. She began her bid midway on the final turn, splitting horses at the top of the stretch to move into second along the inside. Desert Dawn was leading by two lengths with a furlong to run, when Midnight Memories switched to the outside and ran past her rival to finish the distance in 1:42.84 on a fast track.

“She broke sharp, but I let her settle off the two leaders, said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “She doesn’t like dirt in the face, so I tried to avoid that as much as I could down the backside. (Desert Dawn) got the jump on us turning for home, but once I swung this filly out in the stretch she really took off.”

Midnight Memories is a daughter of 2014 Bayakoa winner Tiz Midnight, who Baffert also trained for Pegram, Watson and Weitman. Baffert and John Shirreffs have the most Bayakoa wins with five each. The race originated in 1981 as the Silver Belles H. at Hollywood Park.