Tom's d'Etat, Midnight Bisou to Head to Saratoga

G M B Racing's June 27 Stephen Foster (G2) winner Tom's d'Etat and Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables, and Allen Racing's classy Fleur de Lis (G2) victress Midnight Bisou both exited their Churchill Downs tests in good shape and will now head to Saratoga Race Course in the coming days for the eight-week meet, according to the horse's connections.

"It was just an unbelievable day on Saturday," Tom's d'Etat's trainer Al Stall Jr. said. "To draw off like that, and almost break the track record, was unreal. He ran a sub 36-second final three-eighths. You don't see many route horses in the country that are able to do that, especially as geared down as he was in the final stages."

Tom's d'Etat cruised to a 4 1/4-length win in the Stephen Foster, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), scheduled for Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Stall said Tom's d'Etat is likely to make his next start in the Aug. 1 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, where the horse has won three of four starts including last summer's Alydar Stakes.

"Five weeks is good timing. He has a good record at Saratoga so that makes sense," Stall said. 

One race prior to Stephen Foster, 2019 Eclipse Award-winner Midnight Bisou returned to the winner's circle with an emphatic 8 1/4-length victory in the Fleur de Lis. 

"I can't say enough how thankful we are to Jeff Bloom, Sol Kumin, and the Allens for keeping this brilliant mare in training for this year," said Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who had a busy morning June 28 working 13 horses beneath the Twin Spires. 

By winning the Fleur de Lis, Midnight Bisou secured a "Win and You're In" berth to the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). The question remains if she will point toward the Distaff or the Classic. 

Asmussen and Stall's string of horses are expected to ship from Churchill Downs to Saratoga in the coming days. With the disrupted racing schedule around the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many trainers and jockeys are opting to remain in Kentucky for the summer and ship to Saratoga as necessary. Jockeys Tyler Gaffalione and Ricardo Santana Jr. are among the local riders expected to ride at Saratoga following Keeneland's summer meet, which spans July 8-12.

Most of the other jockeys in the Churchill Downs riding colony, such as Rafael Bejarano, James Graham, Florent Geroux, Brian Hernandez Jr., Chris Landeros, Corey Lanerie, and Julien Leparoux plan to ride the summer at Ellis Park and ship out of town if necessary. 

Many local trainers will keep their string of horses in training at Churchill Downs including typical Saratoga-goers D. Wayne Lukas and Dallas Stewart. 

Several West-Coast trainers currently stabled at Churchill Downs, including Peter Miller and John Sadler, are planning to return to California for the Del Mar meet. 

Chad Brown, who was a new addition to the Churchill Downs backstretch this spring, is planning to remain stabled in Barn 26 throughout the summer and fall, according to his local assistant Whit Beckman. Brown will still be a very strong presence at Saratoga with the majority of his string based in New York. 

The Kentucky racing circuit will shift to Ellis Park July 2-5, then Keeneland will run their abbreviated summer meet July 8-12 before racing continues throughout the month of July and August at Ellis Park. Racing at Churchill Downs will return Sept. 1 for the start of Kentucky Derby week.