Midnight Bisou Cruises to Victory in Molly Pitcher
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Photo: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Midnight Bisou wins the Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park
If there were concerns about Midnight Bisou running 1 1/16 miles in withering heat in the $147,500 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at steamy Monmouth Park July 20, for the most part, they proved to be unfounded.
Despite the mid-90-degree temperatures even after post time was delayed by three hours, there was a breeze off the Atlantic Ocean that kept conditions on the racetrack from being unbearable.
"There's been many, many race days that were much hotter and much worse air quality than today," said owner Jeff Bloom, a former jockey. "This wasn't anywhere near as bad as we thought it would be. It ended up being somewhat mild compared to what we thought it would be."
Beyond that, Midnight Bisou only needed to run hard for about a furlong. Though Midnight Bisou was fourth in the field of five on the final turn for a few moments, jockey Mike Smith guided her through a hole inside the pacesetting Coach Rocks at the top of the stretch, and by the sixteenth pole she was in front and motoring to a measured one-length victory that made her 9-for-9 at the distance.
"You could tell Mike had so much horse, and when it was all said and done, in midstretch he was reining her in. She was in cruise control," said Bloom, whose Bloom Racing Stable owns the daughter of Midnight Lute along with Madaket Stables and Allen Racing. "She showed no signs of distress after the race. It really was cruising through the park."
Ranked No. 3 in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Poll, Midnight Bisou improved her record to 5-for-5 in 2019 as she prepped for her upcoming date in the $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes Presented by Lia Infiniti (G1) Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course.
"She's a true blessing," trainer Steve Asmussen said about the 4-year-old filly. "The connections, how she responds to Mike, it's a beautiful thing to be a part of."
Bred and consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds, the Kentucky-bred filly was a $19,000 RNA at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and then was purchased by Bloom for $80,000 the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
A 1-20 favorite who paid $2.10, Midnight Bisou finished in 1:43.55 while winning for the 10th time in 16 starts. She has earned $2.87 million.
Roddy Valente, RAP Racing, and West Point Thoroughbreds' Coach Rocks was second by 5 1/4 lengths over Norma Lee Stockseth and Todd Dunn's Cosmic Burst.
The Molly Pitcher was originally scheduled as the eighth of 14 races on Monmouth Park's Haskell Day card, but after two races were run, the remaining non-stakes were canceled and the remaining six races were pushed back to a 6 p.m. ET start time. Post time for the Molly Pitcher was moved to 6:27 p.m. from the original 3:27 p.m., but Bloom said there was never a consideration to scratch Midnight Bisou.
"I had not pondered scratching," Bloom said. "It comes down to me talking to Steve and (assistant trainer Scott Blasi). They're in charge of what we should be doing. They look after the filly, and they made it very clear they were confident in the situation, they were confident in the filly, and that it was not necessary to think about scratching her. It was never even a second thought to me."