A Grade 1 winner for two trainers, Midnight Bisou took a step toward another victory at horse racing's highest level on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
You were expecting anything else from a filly who has never been worse than third against the best females of her generation?
Sired by a two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint winner, the 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly went long to win the Grade 2 $343,000 Azeri. Getting through on the rail under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou edged Elate by one length with Shamrock Rose another length back in third. That's a trifecta finish for Grade 1 winners with a fourth such performer, Eskimo Kisses, last of five.
"For her to come out on top is very special," said her Hall of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen, who began training the filly last summer. "She's a very special mare. She's been training incredibly well all winter. She's been spot on and looked beautiful."
Midnight Bisou, formerly trained by Bill Spawr, is 2 for 2 this year, taking the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 27. Smith rode the Spawr-trained filly to victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks last March and was aboard when Midnight Bisou was placed first through disqualification in September's Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing. Her first of four stakes wins under Asmussen came in Belmont Park's Grade 2 Mother Goose last June.
Another Grade 1 opportunity may await Midnight Bisou in Oaklawn's $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap April 14. That is the expected 4-year-old debut for champion filly Monomoy Girl, whose only defeat last year came amid controversy in the Cotillion DQ.
"I'll have to talk to (owner) Jeff (Bloom) and see how she comes out of the race, but that would be the plan," Asmussen said.
Fourth down the backstretch but within 2 1/2 lengths of the front, Midnight Bisou briefly had nowhere to go when the field turned for home. But when the rail opened, the dark bay or brown filly knew what to do.
"I thought she proved her quality today," said Asmussen, Midnight Bisou carrying 119 pounds through a fast-rated mile and sixteenth in 1:42.72. She paid $4.40 to win, keying chalky exotic wager including a superfecta with pacesetter Tapa Tapa Tapa worth $1.74.
Elate, saddled by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, went off even-money favorite over the track that both her sire and dam won stakes. Breeders Dell Hancock, representing historic Claiborne Farm (Paris, Ky.), and Adele Dilschneider, of St. Louis, took their homebred 5-year-old mare's second Oaklawn defeat in stride.
"You'll have to ask our trainer about that," Hancock said when asked if the Apple Blossom is next for Elate, "but, yes, we're very proud of her."
David Cohen, riding Shamrock Rose, addressed the quality of competition after the Mark Casse-trained winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint just missed in her Oaklawn debut.
"The top three were right together," Cohen said. "It was anyone's race at the sixteenth pole."
But at the end, for the seventh time in her career, it was Midnight Bisou in front. Unbeatable she is not, but with seven wins, three seconds and three thirds in 13 starts, who can argue with such consistency?
Sports on 03/17/2019