Midnight Bisou leads big Saturday for Bloom at Oaklawn

One owner has a chance to sweep the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares and $350,000 Essex Handicap for older horses Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

That’s Jeff Bloom, who will be represented by 6-5 program favorite Midnight Bisou in the Azeri and Snapper Sinclair, an early 9-2 choice in the Essex. 

The Southern California-based Bloom has already had a productive Oaklawn meeting, winning a Feb. 17 allowance race with Snapper Sinclair and a maiden special weights event the following day with Comedian. Midnight Bisou, Snapper Sinclair and Comedian are trained by Hall of Famer and nine-time Oaklawn champion Steve Asmussen, Bloom’s primary conditioner.

“I love Oaklawn, and Steve and I have had really good luck together,” Bloom said Wednesday afternoon. “Oaklawn’s a great spot.”

Midnight Bisou was a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2018 after winning 5 of 9 starts, including the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita and $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx (via a race-related disqualification). Midnight Bisou launched her 4-year-old campaign with a three-quarter length victory in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 27 at Sam Houston.

“It really did work out well for our filly to jump over there,” Bloom said. “She got out of the race what she needed to get out of it. There were certainly some anxious moments during the course of that race that you didn’t expect to have, but she definitely showed her talent and her class in overcoming the trip.”

Bloom said Midnight Bisou’s major spring objective is the $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 14 at Oaklawn.

Snapper Sinclair exits a powerful 2 ½-length score in his local debut. It was the first dirt victory for Snapper Sinclair, who was beaten a nose by Bravazo in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) last year at Fair Grounds.

“His numbers reflect improvement on the dirt,” Bloom said. “His three most recent races are some of his best numbers and those are on the dirt. It was really nice to see him validate what we thought he was about in that last start at Oaklawn. That, to me, was just visually ultra-impressive.”

Triple Crown nominee Comedian was under consideration for Saturday’s split $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2), but landed in a 1 1/16-mile entry-level allowance race on the undercard. The race has a $101,000 purse.

“This is a colt that we have very high expectations for,” Bloom said. “He’s like one of these big Baby Hueys that’s still kind of figuring things out. Talent-wise, we really do feel as though he’s there, he’s up to the task. But because he’s not as seasoned, we just figured, ‘Let’s put him in the first condition, let him continue to develop and if things go right we still have time to get to that we want to be in, potentially, coming back in a race like the Arkansas Derby or something if everything goes well.’ ”

By Into Mischief, Comedian has a 1-2-0 record from three lifetime starts.