Midnight Bisou an easy winner in Santa Ysabel Stakes
There was no rematch between Midnight Bisou and unbeaten Dream Tree as anticipated in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes. That left Midnight Bisou to dazzle over a sloppy Santa Anita track.
Midnight Bisou, who finished a nose behind Dream Tree in her first two starts, broke her maiden last out in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes. The Bill Spawr trainee further confirmed her spot as a 2018 Kentucky Oaks contender by earning 50 points with the Santa Ysabel win.
Asked about the race, Spawr said, “I thought she had ‘em. When you press on her and you ask her, she just kicks it [in]…She’s that good. It’s not the surface.”
Leaving the gate, Spring Lily grabbed the lead and set early fractions of :23.26 and :47.01 with Thirteen Squared up close. Jockey Mike Smith was able to settle Midnight Bisou in third, with One Fast Broad in fourth and Sweetsongofthenile a far back fifth.
Nearing the quarter pole, Spring Lily struggled to maintain her lead as Midnight Bisou and Thirteen Squared started going at it. The two fillies turned for home together, but Smith was on the better filly. Midnight Bisou pulled ahead and wrapped up the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.10.
“This was a test of two turns and she passed it with an ‘A Plus,’” said Smith. “I’m getting to know her more and more. I was a bit concerned warming up today. I thought she might be a little bit too keen early on but then she settled really nicely and she did everything better than I expected going into a two turn race. She’s getting better even faster than I thought she would.”
Smith also won the previous two editions of the Santa Ysabel aboard Unique Bella and Songbird.
Thirteen Squared finished second 2 ¼ lengths behind the winner. Spring Lily, Sweetsongofthenile and One Fast Broad completed the order of finish.
Purchased for $80,000 last April, Midnight Bisou has already earned $210,000 in four starts for Allen Racing LLC and Bloom Racing Stable LLC.
Co-owner Jeff Bloom is already looking ahead with his Midnight Lute filly.
“Wow, she answered every question today,” said Bloom. “She handled the off track, she handled two turns and she did it with a hand ride. We’ll check with Bill, but we plan to run in the [Grade 1 Santa Anita] Oaks here and then the Kentucky Oaks.”