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Midnight Memories, sent off as the even-money favorite, won the Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos, a race won by her dam in 2014.
Desert Dawn was most recently fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 4, defeated by 1 ¼ lengths by winner Idiomatic.
Favored Dance to the Music broke sharply and was head and head with runner-up Violent Runner prior to gaining the advantage in deep stretch, taking Saturday’s $100,000 Desert Stormer Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita by one length.
Graded stakes winner Elm Drive looms a major threat for trainer Phil D’Amato when she returns from a six-month layoff in Saturday’s Grade III Desert Stormer going six furlongs on the main track.