Tag: champion

Midnight Bisou Arrives at Hill ‘n’ Dale, To Visit Curlin in 2021

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) arrived at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa Thursday afternoon after completing her final phase of rehabilitation at WinStar Farm. The five-time Grade I winner will visit Hill ‘n’ Dale flagbearer Curlin.

Midnight Bisou was preparing for her Breeders’ Cup bid this fall when she incurred a sesamoid fracture during a work at the end of September that forced connections to retire the mare prematurely.
The champion shone as one of brightest stars at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale Nov. 8. Co-owner Chuck Allen of Allen Racing couldn’t bear to part with the near $7.5-million earner and bought out fellow partners Bloom Racing Stable and Madaket Stables for a winning bid of $5 million.

After going through the ring, Midnight Bisou returned to WinStar Farm to complete the rehabilitation process.

“Midnight Bisou was at WinStar and has been cleared to begin a broodmare career and has arrived here safely today,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale General Manager Jared Burdine. “She’s an earner of over $7.4 million, an Eclipse Champion. She’s going to visit Curlin, who earned over $10.5 million and was a champion as well. So it’s a Classic sire and it should be a Classic-distance baby. She’s in great hands here. We’re excited to have her here and can’t wait to begin her career, especially with champion Curlin.”

An $80,000 2017 OBS April Sale purchase for Jeff Bloom, Midnight Bisou won five graded stakes at three including the GI Santa Anita Oaks and GI Cotillion S.

She reached higher stardom at four, taking the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign, earning the Eclipse crown for her division. This year, the Steve Asmussen pupil ran second behind Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the Saudi Cup, romped in the GII Fleur de Lis S. after her return to the States, and then came in second in the GI Personal Ensign S.

“Special horses like her make us get up and try harder each and every day,” Burdine said. “They give you enthusiasm to get to the barn and they’re what drives our business. She’s a very intelligent, classy mare. She looks beautiful.”

Midnight Bisou is among the first new arrivals to Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, the farm outside of Paris, Ky. that John Sikura purchased over a year ago. The Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion roster made the journey to their new stud barn this October.

“There’s no better place for her to begin her broodmare career, I believe, than with this setting here,” Burdine said. “We’re honored that Mr. Bloom and Mr. Allen entrusted us with taking her through this part of her career.”

 

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An Unexpected Storybook Ending for Midnight Bisou

What was it, many have asked, that drew Jeff Bloom to Midnight Bisou at the 2017 OBS April 2-Year-Old Sale?

While it surely wasn’t her unmet reserve from the Keeneland September Sale, where bidding stalled at $19,000, perhaps it was her three-time stakes-winning dam. Diva Delite (Repent) had yet to produce a winner, but as a racehorse she had claimed the GIII Florida Oaks and earned over $300,000.

On the other hand, maybe something in the filly’s :10 1/5 breeze at the sale had caught his eye.

Bloom has been asked the question innumerable times over the past three years. There’s really only one thing he can put his finger on.

“At the end of the day, it was really her presence,” Bloom said. “She had a way about her–her eye, such a smart, keen, personal, friendly touch about her. I was just drawn to her from the second I laid eyes on her. At the breeze show, she really leveled out and had such an efficiency of motion about her that made it clear there was more there. This is the type of horse that you think you can go on with. Of course, you never know for sure, but, as it turns out, it worked out.”

It would have been impossible for anyone to have predicted the ride on which Midnight Bisou would take Bloom, his family and his partners. But now, after a four-year campaign, the daughter of Midnight Lute will sell at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale as a five-time Grade I winner, an Eclipse champion and the highest-earning dirt mare of all time.

With two runner-up efforts behind eventual Grade I winner Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) at two, Midnight Bisou dominated the 3-year-old filly division at Santa Anita with three graded wins, culminating in a 3 1/2-length come-from-behind victory in the GI Santa Anita Oaks.

“The Santa Anita Oaks was a huge accomplishment,” Bloom said. “To win as dominantly as she did was really one of those things that gives you goose bumps. At that point, we thought, ‘Wow, we’ve got arguably one of the best fillies in the country and it looks like there’s no stopping us now.'”

Midnight Bisou wrapped up her 3-year-old season with two more graded victories, never finishing out of the money in her nine starts. But she upped her game further at four, finishing first in seven of eight starts and adding a trio of Grade I wins, highlighted by one of the most heart-pounding stretch battles of the year in the GI Personal Ensign S. with Elate (Medaglia d’Oro).

“The Personal Ensign is one of my all-time favorite races for us with Midnight Bisou, but as a racing fan, to me it’s one of the most special races,” Bloom said. “When they crossed the wire, I thought the nose went to us but it was so hard to tell. Time just stands still. When they flashed our number up there, I can tell you I was floating on air. Really more than anything, I was so happy for Midnight Bisou. It’s what horse racing is all about.”

After connections made the decision to race one more season, scratching her from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale on the morning of the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the newly-crowned Eclipse winner crossed the globe to make her 5-year-old debut this year in the $20-million Saudi Cup, where she closed to finish an ultra-game second behind fellow champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day).

“That was one of the most thrilling, rewarding experiences of my lifetime to see her show up and go across the world and run second against the best racehorses,” Bloom said. “It made us feel like, yeah, this is all working out the way it’s supposed to.”

Fate soon intervened.

After another win in the GII Fleur de Lis S. June 27 and a close second in the Personal Ensign Aug. 1, Midnight Bisou was expected to prime for a final appearance in the Breeders’ Cup with a match-up against rival Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the Distaff, or perhaps even a start in the GI Classic. But during her final work before shipping to Lexington for the GI Juddmonte Spinster S., an injury forced her connections to choose an early retirement.

“We were devastated,” Bloom said. “We had more to do. She deserved to have that Breeders’ Cup trophy sitting on the mantle. It’s hard to get your head around that this is how it’s finishing. But at the end of the day, we found out she’s going to be fine and this in no way is going to affect anything as it relates to her being a broodmare, so we’ll take advantage of knowing that we had an incredible ride and she’s going to be happy and be able to shine at the Night of Stars and hopefully have a banner second career.”

Midnight Bisou retired with earnings well over $7 million and never finished out of the money in any of her 22 career starts for co-owners Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Allen Racing LLC.

The champion has had several pedigree updates since her last time through the auction ring, with her half-brother Stage Left (Congrats) now a black-type-placed winner. Her dam, Diva Delite, sold for $1.2 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale, carrying a colt by Justify, and this year was bred to Medaglia d’Oro.

When Midnight Bisou sells as Hip 185 with the Elite Sales consignment Nov. 8, Bloom said he won’t be unsettled by what could have been the day before at the Breeders’ Cup, but instead will find peace in remembering the ride of a lifetime he enjoyed with his family and his $80,000 purchase-turned-over $7-million dollar earner.

“It’s impossible to put into words what this ride has meant,” he admitted. “This game is my whole life. She changed my life, my family’s life, my partners’ lives. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate and understand how fortunate I am that this came, that this experience was handed to me, and I’ll forever be grateful and appreciative.”

 

 

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Midnight Bisou ‘A Bit Off’ After Monday Workout, Sent To Dr. Bramlage For Full Evaluation

Reigning Older Dirt Champion Female Midnight Bisou breezed as Saratoga Monday morning, but was found to be “a bit off after cooling out,” according to co-owner Jeffrey Bloom (Bloom Racing Stable) on Twitter.

Bloom's Tweet indicated that the 5-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute will be sent for a full evaluation by Dr. Larry Bramlage in Lexington, Ky.

Midnight Bisou was second last out in the G1 Personal Ensign, and was being pointed to the G1 Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland this Saturday, ahead of the Breeders' Cup there on Nov. 6-7. Trained by Steve Amussen, the mare has earnings of $7,471,520 with a record of 13-6-3 from 22 starts.

She is entered in the Nov. 8 Fasig-Tipton sale.

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Champion Sistercharlie Returns To Action In Saturday’s Ballston Spa

Champion Turf Mare Sistercharlie will kick off her 2020 campaign in the 32nd running of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Chad Brown and owned by Peter Brant, Sistercharlie has put together a sensational record of 15-10-3-1, including seven Grade 1 triumphs while boasting $3,662,003 in lifetime earnings. In 2018, the daughter of Myboycharlie was named Champion Turf Female after winning all four of her Grade 1 efforts that year, which registered triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures. Two starts after kicking off her subsequent championship-worthy year with a victory in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, she mimicked such winning ways in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga en route to Grade 1 scores in the Beverly D. at Arlington Park and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs, where she beat six Grade/Group 1 winners.

Sistercharlie did not return to action until July 2019, where she notched repeat victories in the Diana and Beverly D. before winning the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park, where she joined 2010 Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Zenyatta [who won nine straight] as the only other North American-based horse to win six straight Grade 1 events. She has not raced since November, finishing third to Iridessa in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

“She's been training really well,” said Brown, who is targeting a sixth Ballston Spa victory. “It's only a mile and a sixteenth, which is a little shorter than the Diana was last year, but she did it a couple of years ago in the Jenny Wiley. She's been ready to run for a little while now. It's great that he [Peter Brant] decided to race her as a 6-year-old. To have a star horse like this in training is good for the entire industry, so hopefully she has another great year.”

Sistercharlie has been training forwardly for Brown into her 2020 debut, most recently working a half-mile over the Oklahoma turf course in company with Eliade, completing the distance in 50.44 seconds.

“She did well. It was a final piece of work to get her to stretch her legs. She seems ready to go,” Brown said.

Bred in Ireland by Ecurie Des Monceaux, Sistercharlie is out of the Galileo broodmare Starlet's Sister and is a half-sister to Sottsass, a dual Group 1-winner in France.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has been aboard Sistercharlie in all 10 of her North American starts and will have the call from post 5 as he attempts his sixth Ballston Spa triumph.

Brown also will send out maiden special weight winner North Broadway for Brant. The dark bay daughter of Quality Road was a 3 ½-length winner of her second career start on May 20 over the turf at Gulfstream Park before facing winners at Monmouth Park, where she was rank in the early stages, tracked in second and faded to sixth, beaten seven lengths as the favorite.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will pilot North Broadway from post 3.

Trainer Christophe Clement has enjoyed a superb start to the Saratoga meet, saddling two turf stakes winners with Decorated Invader in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and Speaktomeofsummer in the Grade 2 Lake Placid on back-to-back days, and will seek to keep such winning ways afloat when giving Call Me Love a cutback in distance.

Owned by R Unicorn Stable, the chestnut daughter of Sea the Stars is a two-time group stakes winner in Italy and seeks her first triumph since winning the Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio on November 3. After making her North American debut with a runner-up finish to Rushing Fall going a mile and a sixteenth in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 5 at Belmont Park, she finished fourth beaten eight lengths in the Grade 2 New York going 1 ¼ miles.

Clement will attempt a third win in the Ballston Spa having previously won with Danish [1996] and Penny's Gold [2001].

Jockey Joel Rosario will pilot Call Me Love from post 1.

Blue Heaven Farm's reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee has done no wrong in her trio of starts this season and has not finished worse than third in her last 10 races. The Florida-bred bay mare will try to keep a consistent pattern intact while attempting an eighth graded stakes victory for trainer Kevin Attard.

Starship Jubilee has captured all three starts in her 7-year-old campaign, beginning at Gulfstream with scores in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf in January and the Grade 3 Suwanee River in February before taking the Grade 2 Hillsborough last out on March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Attard said a planned layoff coincided with the interruption to the national stakes calendar amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were planning on giving her a break anyway. We wanted to keep her fresh for this year,” said Attard. “At one point, we were pointing toward the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April but then COVID took over and plans changed. We sent her to the farm after her race at Tampa and she had a bit of a freshening before we got her back into training.”

Starship Jubilee enters Saturday's test off a four-month layoff, but her ledger includes eight works at Woodbine topped by a bullet half-mile breeze in 47.40 on July 18 on the dirt training track.

“I think she's ready. It took her a little bit longer to come around, but she is getting a little bit older,” said Attard. “Her last few works have been good and I saw enough in her last work that I think she's ready to ship and compete.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano was aboard Starship Jubilee in her last out Hillsborough victory and retains the mount breaking from post 6.

Completing the field is Ballybrit Stable's Bramble Queen, who arrives off allowance optional claiming victories at Tampa Bay Downs and Delaware Park for trainer Michael Dini.

The 5-year-old Silent Name mare owns one stakes triumph, which took place in last year's Illini Princess Handicap at Hawthorne.

Jockey Jose Lezcano, who guided Laughing to a Ballston Spa score in 2013, will be aboard Bramble Queen from post 2.

Another Broad [post 4] has been entered for main track only.

The Ballston Spa is slated as Race 3 on Saturday's 11-race card, which offers a first post of 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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