Special Season for Champion Dirt Female Midnight Bisou
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Adam Mooshian
Midnight Bisou won seven consecutive graded stakes in 2019 and raced eight times at six tracks between January and November
Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, and Allen Racing's Midnight Bisou went on a tear in 2019. She won seven consecutive graded stakes and raced eight times at six tracks between January and November. The Midnight Lute mare is preparing for her 5-year-old debut against males in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup but first, her connections celebrated the newly crowned champion, winner of the 2019 Eclipse Award for older dirt female.
Midnight Bisou, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, won the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3), Azeri Stakes (G2), Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1), Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3), Personal Ensign Stakes Presented by Lia Infiniti (G1), and Beldame Stakes (G2). She wrapped up her season by finishing second to Blue Prize in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
Midnight Bisou and her connections head to the winner's circle after the Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park
Midnight Bisou was initially entered for The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale in Kentucky, but Bloom announced the morning of the Distaff that his star filly would be scratched from that sale in favor of another season of racing.
"She's one of those horses the fans can definitely rally around," Bloom said. "She goes out there; she does her job. She just relishes the opportunity to go out there and train and run in those races. It's just so much fun to be a part of."
Midnight Bisou's greatest feat in 2019 came in the Personal Ensign. With regular jockey Mike Smith aboard, she hooked up with Elate and the two left the field 8 3/4 lengths behind in the Saratoga Race Course stretch. Midnight Bisou prevailed by a nose with a rally on the outside.
In addition to defeating Elate, Midnight Bisou won races over grade 1 winners Shamrock Rose, Come Dancing, She's a Julie, and Wow Cat.
Bloom purchased Midnight Bisou for $80,000 from breeder Woodford Thoroughbreds at the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales April Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. From 19 starts, she's collected 12 wins and earnings of $3.75 million, and has never finished worse than third.
"You have high expectations for them regardless of what the price tag is," Bloom said. "I said it before, she was definitely one of the two horses I felt I really had to have at that sale. To have this kind of result, you could never imagine that things would work out this way. It's still just been an incredible journey and the fact that we still get to be on this ride and enjoy it even more makes it that much more gratifying."