Henny Hughes’ Midnight Visit wins by broad daylight

Midnight Visit’s debut was no secret to fans at Aqueduct on Sunday, what with the works he’d been turning in for trainer Todd Pletcher. Even with a jockey change to David Cohen, he fulfilled the buzz when he dueled for the lead from the start of the six furlong maiden special weight, gained the lead on the turn, and continued to widen it down the lane to cross the wire four and one-quarter lengths in front.

TVG commentator Matt Carruthers noted, “For a first-time starter to take that kind of early pressure and draw away – good effort by Midnight Visit.”

Owned by Thoroughbred Futures Racing, the chestnut daughter of Henny Hughes was bred in New York by Jerry Bilinski, DVM and Harry Patten from the Trempolino mare Open Window, who has already produced Graded Stakes-placed Wild Chick. Open Window is inbred 3X4 to the notable broodmare Victoria Regina, a half-sister to champions Victoria Park and Northern Queen, and dam of sire Vice Regent, broodmare sire of Open Window, and dam of Canadian Horse of the Year Viceregal, broodmare sire of Trempolino.

Henny Hughes is represented by 15 other winners from his first crop, including the TDN Rising Star Fort Hughes, and Stakes-placed Wealthy Aviator. His $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Calder sale topper was the highest priced of any two-year-old sold in 2010 at public auction.