Midnight Bisou Breezes for First Time Since Saudi Cup

Midnight Bisou resumed breezing April 23 at Keeneland, her first timed workout since a runner-up finish in the Saudi Cup Feb. 29. Her connections are eyeing an early summer return for the champion mare after stakes schedules are reworked following COVID-19-related cancellations and delays.

Clockers timed the 5-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute  covering a half-mile in :52 3/5, an effortless solo work for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

"It could not have gone any easier," co-owner Jeff Bloom said. "She is training as well as she ever has. She's healthy and happy.

"Now, like with everybody else, it's figuring out where she is going to run. With that said, the idea would be based on expectations that we all have for things opening up a little bit more, sometime toward the early part of summer, whatever that means. Our original plan following the race was to come back and point for the La Troienne (G1) on Derby Weekend, but, of course, that all went up in smoke like everything else."

The $500,000 La Troienne Stakes Presented by United Card Events by Chase (G1) is typically run on the first Friday in May on the undercard of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, though not on that date this year. The Churchill Downs spring meet was delayed pending public health clearance for racing without spectators, and the Oaks and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) are postponed to Sept. 4-5, respectively.

Although Churchill Downs has not released its stakes schedule, track officials said last month they hoped to replicate Derby-week racing during the first week of September.

Midnight Bisou, owned by Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, and Allen Racing, has won 12 of 20 starts and $7.25 million, a tally that could grow if Maximum Security is disqualified from first in the Saudi Cup. On April 13, Saudi officials announced the purse of that race would be withheld pending an investigation into Maximum Security and trainer Jason Servis, who is under federal indictment, accused of misbranding performance-enhancing drugs that were administered to racehorses.

"We've not heard anything since then. We're just waiting it out," Bloom said.

First place in the Saudi Cup is worth $10 million and second place $3.5 million.