Seven Signed On for Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar

The 8/5 morning line favorite, Midnight Storm, is back after a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile June 13 at Santa Anita. Trained by Phillip D’Amato, Midnight Storm won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby last year, and has won 4 of 9 career starts, including 3 of his last 4. Tyler Baze is slated to ride the four year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile colt and break from post position #3.

Finnegans Wake back on grass 

Finnegans Wake will attempt to bounce back from consecutive fourth place finishes in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park and Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita. The Peter Miller-trained veteran should appreciate getting back over the turf after a failed dirt experiment in the Gold Cup. Finnegans Wake has won a trio of graded stakes races in 2015, including a Grade 1 score in the Woodford Reserve May 2 at Churchill Downs, and has shown an affinity for the Del Mar lawn, winning the 2014 Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes. Jockey Victor Espinoza will take the mount breaking from post 7.

Gabriel tries to regain stakes-winning form 

Gabriel Charles (5/1) is the only other graded stakes winner in the field, capturing the 2013 version of the Del Mar Derby. The Jeff Mullins trainee is a lightly-raced five year-old with 3 wins in 10 career starts. Following a second-place effort in the 2013 Grade 2 Twilight Derby, Gabriel Charles did not race again until April 16 when he ran second in an allowance race. He followed that effort with a third in the Grade 3 American Stakes May 9 at Santa Anita.