Midnight Bisou, Mitole settle in for a west coast Breeders' Cup
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Trainer Steve Asmussen’s dynamic duo of Midnight Bisou and Mitole, both likely favorites in their respective Breeders' Cup divisions, have settled into new surroundings at Santa Anita Park to continue preparations for next month’s championships.
For Midnight Bisou, the trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Distaff is a return home of sorts. The 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, who is a candidate for Horse of the Year, made the first five starts of her career on the Southern California circuit with four of those coming at Santa Anita. She swept the Santa Ynez (G2), Santa Ysabel (G3) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1) last spring in Arcadia, Calif., before shipping east for the Kentucky Oaks.
Some 18 months after her departure -- she was then in the care of trainer Bill Spawr -- Midnight Bisou's back in California as a member of the Asmussen barn.
“They both settled in well,” said Scott Blasi, assistant trainer for Assmusen. “Midnight Bisou has been here before, so this is like a homecoming for her. Mitole has shipped around a bunch, so both are experienced with travel. It’s not a big deal for them.”
Mitole returned to the work tab last week at Belmont Park for the first time since his win in the Aug. 24 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. He is slated for his first breeze over the Santa Anita surface on Friday.
“Mitole is going to work tomorrow,” Blasi said. “I haven’t talked to Steve yet, but most likely it will be just a half mile to get him acquainted with the track.”
Indications are Mitole, who is 5-for-6 this year and a leading Eclipse Award contender, is headed to the Sprint rather than the Dirt Mile, but Blasi declined to elaborate on the impending decision.
As for Midnight Bisou, she is scheduled to get her first local work in Monday following a victory in Belmont Park's Sept. 28 Beldame Stakes (G1), which ran her record to a perfect 7-for-7 on the year.
If opening week of the Santa Anita meet is any indication, Midnight Bisou will be going over a track that’s drastically different than the one she experienced some 18 months ago. The first four days of racing at Santa Anita featured a racing surface that provided slow times and heavily favored front-runners.
Blasi, as with many horsemen around Santa Anita this week, declined to comment on how the main track has played.
“I don’t really want to get into the racetrack -- what it is or isn’t right now,” he said. “My horses came in here really healthy and up to speed, have good form and have been racing. So hopefully it is a non-issue, but you just never know.”
Owned by Bloom Racing, Madaket Racing and Allen Racing, Midnight Bisou will be making her second attempt at a Breeders’ Cup Distaff title. Last year at Churchill Downs, she checked in third beaten 1 ½-lengths by Monomoy Girl. It was Midnight Bisou’s only defeat in the past 13 ½-months of racing.
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