Midnight Bisou Aims to Continue Roll in Apple Blossom

Even on vacation, Midnight Bisou is capable of a little self-improvement.

Already with two graded stakes wins in this young season, Midnight Bisou will look to knock down a top-level win against older rivals for the first time April 14 in the $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

The fast start to the 4-year-old season for the daughter of Midnight Lute  followed some downtime after her third-place finish in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). During that time off, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen liked what he was seeing from the filly who defeated other females of her generation in a pair of grade 1 races last year.

"Steve's a real fan of the filly as are we," said co-owner Jeffrey Bloom. "He had continued to communicate how impressed he had been with her after coming out of the Breeders' Cup.  And we gave her just that little bit of a breather. But he said when we really started to kick it into overdrive with her to get her ready to start the year off, she was just exhibiting a different level of confidence in the way that she carries herself, in the way that she was training.

"To see that transfer over onto the racetrack during the races, it's just such a nice thing. Steve and his entire team had been just really high on how she had been training. And so you hope that that just continues on. She's one of those horses that really does enjoy her job."

Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, and Allen Racing's Midnight Bisou rolled to a 3 1/2-length score in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) in the spring and then in the fall defeated eventual champion 3-year-old filly and rival Monomoy Girl, albeit by a disqualification, in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing.

Consistent at the highest levels—she has won or placed in all 13 of her starts—Midnight Bisou has picked up right where she left off by opening her 4-year-old season with back-to-back wins in the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park and the Azeri Stakes (G2).

"For her to come out on top and to perform the way she did was definitely gratifying," Bloom said. "And she's just such a lovely filly that continues to do everything you ask of her. And it's incredibly exciting to see that she's actually seeming to get better and stronger."

In the Azeri, Midnight Bisou rallied from fourth to post a one-length victory over the hard-charging Elate. That effort marked the first start for Elate since a close runner-up finish to Abel Tasman in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

Two-time grade 1 winner Elate, by Medaglia d'Oro , figures to improve off her Azeri effort. Campaigned by her breeders, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, Elate has earned $1,470,325 in 13 starts for trainer Bill Mott.

Another familiar rival for 122-pound highweight Midnight Bisou in the Apple Blossom is last year's Queen's Plate Stakes-winning filly Wonder Gadot. Last year, the two sophomore fillies clashed three times, with Gary Barber's Wonder Gadot finishing second in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), where Midnight Bisou was third, before the latter finished ahead of Wonder Gadot in the Cotillion and Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Trainer Mark Casse gave Wonder Gadot a prep race in a March 8 allowance optional-claiming race at Oaklawn, where the 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly finished second in her first race since the Breeders' Cup.

Escape Clause—campaigned by Barry Arnason, True North, and her trainer, Don Schnell—brings an underdog story to Sunday's 1 1/16-mile race for older fillies and mares. Purchased for less than $4,000 as a yearling, Escape Clause piled up victories at Assiniboia Downs before securing a stakes win on the turf at Del Mar last fall and winning this year's La Canada Stakes (G3) on the dirt at Santa Anita Park.

The Apple Blossom will be the first grade 1 start for the 5-year-old daughter of Going Commando who enters off a 7 1/4-length win in the March 24 Harry Henson Handicap at Sunland Park.

"She's been quite a story," said Schnell, who is based at Turf Paradise. "She knows how to win, but we're taking on some monsters in the Apple Blossom. But she deserves one try there."

Rounding out the talented field of six are grade 2 winner Chocolate Martini and longshot Viva Forever, who enjoyed success in starter races last year at Parx.

Entries: Apple Blossom H. (G1)

Oaklawn Park, Sunday, April 14, 2019, Race 8

• Grade I
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $750,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Elate (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	William I. Mott	6/5
2	2Chocolate Martini (KY)	Jermaine V. Bridgmohan	116	Thomas M. Amoss	15/1
3	3Escape Clause (MB)	Tyler Baze	117	Don Schnell	5/1
4	4Viva Forever (ON)	Walter De La Cruz	114	Peter R. Walder	30/1
5	5Wonder Gadot (ON)	David Cohen	118	Mark E. Casse	6/1
6	6Midnight Bisou (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Steven M. Asmussen	7/5