2023 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Jay Em Ess Stables (Samantha Siegel)

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with Jay Em Ess Stable's Samantha Siegel.

ACTING HAPPY (m, 16, Empire Maker–Ain't Bluffing, by Pine Bluff)
This mare is a reigning member of the decades-old breeding program established by Samantha Siegel and her late parents, Mace and Jan. The Empire Maker mare is a daughter of the 1998 GI Milady H. winner I Ain't Bluffing, who was also campaigned by the Siegels, and a half-sister to Grade II producer I Ain't P T (A.P. Indy) and Grade II producer Taunt (Deputy Minister). Acting Happy won the 2010 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and was third in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S.

She is in foal to Maclean's Music on a Mar. 14 cover and is booked this year to Army Mule.

AUNT LUBIE (m, 8, Uncle M–Galloping Girafffe, by Tapit)

Siegel laid down $325,000 for this mare as a Keeneland yearling and after a career that spanned 17 races with a single win she was retired to become a member of the Jay Em Ess broodmare band. Some of the more notable names to appear in her pedigree include GII winner Timber Reserve (Forest Camp), Sweet Reason (Street Sense) and Don't Forget Gil (Kafwain). Her first foal is an unnamed yearling filly by Maclean's Music and currently she is in foal to City of Light. She is booked back to Girvin.

Girvin is off to a great start and should give speed to her foal,” Siegel said of the mating plan.

BY THE LIGHT (m, 18, Malibu Moon–Dixie Tempo, by Major Impact)This mare was purchased by the Siegel family for $190,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling 17 years ago and after winning half of her 20 starts and placing in a number of stakes, including the 2008 GII Prioress S., she has served as a productive member of Siegel's broodmare band. Her most successful offspring is By The Moon and she is in foal to Into Mischief on an Apr. 22 cover and booked back to leading sire Good Magic.

BY THE MOON (m, 11, Indian Charlie–By The Light, by Malibu Moon)
Aside from I Ain't Bluffing, By The Moon is perhaps one of Siegel's most notable runners, which is saying a lot considering Jay Em Ess Stables campaigned champion Declan's Moon, Grade I winners Rail Trip and Include Me Out and dozens of other graded stakes winners. In a career that saw her bankroll $1,552,940 from a line of 20-7-6-2, the 2014 GI Frizette S. winner is the dam of Full Moon Madness (Into Mischief), who was third in the GIII Nashua S. last year.

“She has a beautiful Quality Road yearling filly,” Siegel said, adding she currently is in foal to Curlin and booked to visit Gun Runner this spring.

BY THE GATE (4, f, Arrogate–By The Moon, by Indian Charlie)
This bay filly is from the first crop of her late sire and didn't make the races. She is in foal to Good Magic and booked to Not This Time.

GO GOOGLE YOURSELF (m, 8, Into Mischief–Taunt, by Deputy Minister)
A Grade III winner, she had her first foal–a beautiful Gun Runner filly–on January 24. Her next foal will be from the first crop of newly crowned Horse of the Year Flightline

INCLUDE ME OUT (m, 15, Include–Don't Trick Her, by Mazel Trick)
This Siegel hombred won the 2012 GI Santa Margarita Invitational S. at Santa Anita and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar and was also third in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. She's had six foals so far and is currently in foal to Munnings. She is booked to Oscar Performance this year.

LOTSANDLOTSOFHOPE (m, 13, TIznow–Hope Rises, by Mr. Greeley)
She raced once for Seigel and finished second before being retired to the broodmare band. She is the dam of GIISW and GISP Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby) and after a barren year for 2023 she is booked to Omaha Beach.

ROAD RAGER (m, 7, Quality Road—She Is Raging, by Aggressive Chief)
This Grade II-placed mare had her first foal this year, a beautiful filly by Daredevil, and is booked back to visit Mo Town.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

The post 2023 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Jay Em Ess Stables (Samantha Siegel) appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Midnight Bisou Makes Stateside Return in Fleur de Lis

After finishing a valiant second to fellow champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 29, Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) makes her first start back on U.S. soil in Saturday’s GII Fleur de Lis H. at Churchill Downs, a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The dark bay dominated the distaff division last season, winning seven straight graded races, including the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign S. The Eclipse winner suffered her only loss of 2019 when rallying from well-back to be second to Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) in the Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 2 and made a bold move up the rail to be second by just 3/4 of a length in the Saudi Cup.

Distaff third-place finisher and GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) will take another crack at the champ here. Setting the pace in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 26, she was run down late by Lady Apple (Curlin) and forced to settle for second. Returning to winning ways with a front-running 6 1/4-length demolition in a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn’s GII Azeri S. Mar. 14, the dark bay never made the front in the Apr. 18 Apple Blossom and faded to 11th. Don’t count her out off that performance, however. Serengeti Empress won the Oaks after being vanned off in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks last spring.

“If you want to talk about a challenge, this is it,” trainer Tom Amoss told the Churchill notes team. “We face a challenge with champion Midnight Bisou. We have great respect for her but we also have a ton of confidence in our filly. Her preparation has been great for this race and we’ll be ready.”

Also exiting the Apple Blossom is seventh-place finisher Go Google Yourself (Into Mischief), who won Oaklawn’s GIII Bayakoa S. prior to that effort. The bay also won the Groupie Doll S. and GIII Locust Grove S. last summer and was second in the GII Falls City S. in November.

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Midnight Bisou, Serengeti Empress Set To Battle In Fleur de Lis

Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 2019 Champion Older Female Midnight Bisou is set to return against Joel Politti's speedy 2019 Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) winner Serengeti Empress in Saturday's 45th running of the $200,000 Fleur de Lis (GII) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

For the sixth year in a row, the 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” stakes event, which means the winner will be guaranteed a berth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The Fleur de Lis – which means “Flower of the Lily” and honors the French symbol that is incorporated into the city of Louisville's Flag – will be run as Race 9 at 5:15 p.m. (all times Eastern). It will be televised live on NBC from 5-6 p.m.

Midnight Bisou (20-12-5-3—$7,250,000), trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, has been nothing short of spectacular throughout her 20-race career. The now 5-year-old mare began her career on the 2018 Road to the Kentucky Oaks with victories in the $200,000 Santa Ynez (GII), $100,000 Santa Ysabel (GIII) and $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) with previous trainer Bill Spawr. Midnight Bisou finished third behind Monomoy Girl in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Under the care of Asmussen, Midnight Bisou reeled off victories in the $250,000 Mother Goose (GII), $1 million Cotillion (GI), $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (GIII), $350,000 Azeri (GII), $750,000 Apple Blossom (GI), $700,000 Ogden Phipps (GI), $150,000 Molly Pitcher (GIII), $700,000 Personal Ensign (GI) and $300,000 Beldame (GII).

Earlier this year on Feb. 29, Midnight Bisou was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Maximum Security in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup, which featured a field of 14 at 1 1/8 miles in the world's richest horse race at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

“Her training before we went to Saudi was just mindboggling,” Asmussen said. “It's just like it is now. We still wonder how she's able to do it so easily and so consistently. Her works at Churchill have been beautiful. I was very tempted to run her in the (June 13) Ogden Phipps and leaving She's a Julie for the Fleur de Lis. I feel like with what she's done – traveling to Saudi, taking on older boys and everyone knows the trip she got and knows the circumstances … how do you have an adjective for what she is and what she means to racing? Coming back, the next race isn't the goal for this year. The Breeders' Cup is. She is arguably the best horse in the world.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be in the irons from post No. 5.

Serengeti Empress, the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Oaks, will attempt to get the jump on Midnight Bisou as the Tom Amoss trainee will likely be the speed of the race from post 4 under Joe Talamo.

“We have all the confidence in the world of our filly,” Amoss said. “We know how she likes to go and that's to be on the lead. It's a tough matchup against a champion but the way our horse has prepared for this race has us very confident she'll put in a great performance.”

Serengeti Empress (15-6-3-1—$1,732,853) led every step of the way in last year's Kentucky Oaks. The daughter of Alternation's 3-year-old campaign included a narrow runner-up effort in the $500,000 Test (GI) and third-place finish in theLongines Distaff. In her 4-year-old campaign, Serengeti Empress was a convincing 6 ¼-length winner of the March 14 Azeri (GII).

The Fleur de Lis field also will include Jay Em Ess Stable's multiple Grade III winner Go Google Yourself (20-7-5-3—$640,959), Abbondanza Racing, Mark DeDomenico and Medallion Racing's stakes winner Motion Emotion (14-3-5-0—$454,196), Debby Oxley's recent Shawnee Stakes runner-up Chocolate Kisses (13-3-3-2—$310,910), Calumet Farm's three-time winner Red Dane (Ity) (27-3-3-4—$181,644) and Farfellow Farm's multiple graded stakes placed Another Broad (17-4-3-2—$332,605).

The Fleur de Lis field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Go Google Yourself (Brian Hernandez Jr., Paul McGee); Another Broad (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Chocolate Kisses (Declan Carroll, Mark Casse); Midnight Bisou (Smith, Asmussen); Red Dane (Corey Lanerie, Charlie LoPresti); and Motion Emotion (Julien Leparoux, Richard Baltas).

All horses will tote 120 pounds except Midnight Bisou and Serengeti Empress who will carry 124.

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