Midnight Bisou Debuts for Asmussen in Mother Goose

[Wandering Eyes]

Grade I winner Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), bought into and transferred between barns since running third as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks, will make her first start for new connections in Saturday’s GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont.

Originally bought by Jeff Bloom for $80,000 at OBS April and campaigned under his Bloom Racing Stable along with Allen Racing, the dark bay was two noses from being undefeated going into the Oaks. Just missing at 21-1 on debut Oct. 27 at Santa Anita behind subsequent Grade I winner Dream Tree (Uncle Mo), she again was nipped by that foe in the Desi Arnaz S. Nov. 18 at Del Mar before reeling off three straight convincing tallies in the GII Santa Ynez S., GIII Santa Ysabel S. and GI Santa Anita Oaks over the winter and early spring. Making a strong closing bid into a modest pace in the Oaks, the dark bay flattened out in the final furlong and just held for the show spot.

Moved shortly after from the California-based Bill Spawr outfit to Steve Asmussen in order to be closer to the big 3-year-old filly races this summer, Midnight Bisou has clocked five breezes at Churchill for her new conditioner in the interim, highlighted by a six-furlong spin in 1:12 flat (1/2) June 18. It was announced this week that Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables has purchased a minority interest in the filly.

Her chief competition appears to come from Gary Barber and John Oxley’s exciting, undefeated Road to Victory (Quality Road). Bought for $500,000 at the same OBS April sale, the bay debuted with an open-lengths success on the Woodbine lawn Oct. 1 and repeated with a game victory in the GII Golden Rod S., in the process earning the distinction of being the only horse in eight starts so far to topple Oaks heroine Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). Road to Victory made her belated 3-year-old debut with a workmanlike tally in the Alywow S. back on the Woodbine turf June 9.

“We just gave her some time off and she grew up,” trainer Mark Casse told the NYRA notes team. “It took a little longer to get her back than I thought it would. When I knew we couldn’t make the Kentucky Oaks, we came up with Plan B for the Alywood and the Mother Goose. We’ve been extremely happy with how she’s trained since arriving at Belmont.”

Courtlandt Farms’ My Miss Lilly (Tapit) looks to bounce back after a poor Oaks run. Picked up for $670,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, the gray scored a hard-fought win in the GII Gazelle S. Apr. 7 at Aqueduct before finishing a no-factor 11th under the Twin Spires. StarLadies Racing’s Mo Smart (Uncle Mo) is two-for-two by a combined 20 1/2 lengths to begin her career, but steps way up in class for this first stakes attempt.

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