Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) remains the heavyweight among this nation's top sophomore dirt fillies, but Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) reminded her that she looms a threat through the second half of the season with an utterly dominating victory over the previously undefeated Road to Victory (Quality Road) in Saturday's GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont Park.
Whereas she raced from well off the pace when victorious two back in the GI Santa Anita Oaks and-circumstantially-when third as the 2-1 favorite to Monomoy Girl in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 4, Midnight Bisou was ridden positively by Mike Smith and stalked the pace of her chief market rival, initially to her inside and then from her outside once Smith let her clear. Allowed to creep closer leaving the three-eighths point, Midnight Bisou was right alongside nearing the top of the lane and she kicked away from there with a minimum of fuss to score at will by a visually impressive six lengths. Road to Victory stayed on for second.
Previously trained on the West Coast by Bill Spawr, Midnight Bisou, also a winner of this term's GII Santa Ynez S. Jan. 7 and GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 3, was relocated to New York to best position her for the summer's most important races in her division. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen now handles the training duties.
“She came to us in great condition from Bill Spawr,” said Asmussen's assistant trainer Scott Blasi. “She's been a pleasure to be around. Very easy to train, does more when you need her to and does things effortlessly like the good ones do.”
He continued, “We'll see how she comes out of this tomorrow and she'll move up to Saratoga this week with our barn. We're starting to move horses in there right now and we're excited about this summer and the fall ahead with this filly. I think she's capable of major things.”
Pedigree Notes:
Midnight Bisou is one of three Grade I winners for Hill 'n' Dale's Midnight Lute, following Midnight Lucky and Shakin It Up. Midnight Bisou is out of 2010 GIII Florida Oaks heroine Diva Delite, who raced as a homebred for Clover Leaf Farms (later renamed Woodford Thoroughbreds and also stood Diva Delite's sire Repent). The 11-year-old is also responsible for the 2-year-old gelding Stage Left (Congrats), a four-length debut winner for Wesley Ward at Keeneland this spring, a yearling colt by Warrior's Reward and a weanling filly by Wicked Strong.
Saturday, Belmont Park
MOTHER GOOSE S.-GII, $237,500, Belmont, 6-30, 3yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:41.02, ft.
1–MIDNIGHT BISOU, 121, f, 3, by Midnight Lute&log=">Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite (GSW, $300,067), by Repent
2nd Dam: Tour Hostess, by Tour d'Or
3rd Dam: Counsel's Gal, by High Counsel
($19,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo '17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC & Allen Racing
LLC.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC. (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Mike E. Smith. $150,000. Lifetime Record: GISW,
7-4-2-1, $691,000. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”woodford-winning”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Road to Victory, 121, f, 3, Quality Road–Favoritism, by
Tiznow. ($25,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $500,000 2yo '17 OBSAPR).
O-Barber, Gary & Oxley, John C.; B-George Bolton & David
DiPietro (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $50,000.[bullet ad=”nick-de-meric-consigned-by-de-meric-sales”][bullet ad=”tami-bobo-selected-purchased-broke”][bullet ad=”tristanvalerydemeric-grad”][bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]3–My Miss Lilly, 121, f, 3, Tapit–Wicked Deed, by Harlan's
Holiday. ($670,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms
(Donald and Donna Adam); B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
(KY); T-Mark A. Hennig. $25,000.[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”]Margins: 6, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.45, 1.90, 6.70.
Also Ran: Indy Union. Scratched: Gio Game, Mo Smart, Coach Rocks. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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