Personal Ensign Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Vexatious Upsets Midnight Bisou In Personal Ensign

Giving trainer Jack Sisterson his first Grade 1 victory, Calumet Farm's Vexatious held off champion Midnight Bisou the length of the stretch under Jose Lezcano to win Saturday's Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A 6-year-old mare by Giant's Causeway, Vexatious covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.82, winning by about a neck over the odds-on favorite, who was seeking her 14th career win in 22 starts. Point of Honor finished third, with pacesetter Motion Emotion fourth and Abounding Joy rounding out the field of five fillies and mares.

Stewards lit the inquiry sign and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. – riding Midnight Bisou for the first time because COVID-19 restrictions prevented the Midnight Lute mare's regular jockey, Mike Smith, from coming to Saratoga – claimed foul for stretch interference, but the original order of finish was allowed to stand. Vexatious, winning her second stakes and fourth race overall in a 23-race career that began with trainer Neil Drysdale in California in October 2016, paid $21 for the win.

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Giant’s Causeway’s Vexatious Gets Better of ‘Bisou’ in Personal Ensign

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) was bet like she could not lose Saturday’s GI Personal Ensign S. at 1-5, but apparently no one told 9-1 shot Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway). The Calumet runner refused to yield to the Eclipse winner in the final furlong of the Saratoga stretch to secure a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Stakes winner Motion Emotion (Take Charge Indy) went straight to the front with Vexatious stalking in a close-up second and Midnight Bisou just off of them in third through opening splits of :24.15 and :48.36. Vexatious drew even with the pacesetter with three-eighths left to run and that rival called it quits as Midnight Bisou ranged up dangerously on the outside. The Eclipse winner was three-wide turning for home with Vexatious just to her inside as Point of Honor (Curlin) snuck up the fence and looked ready to tussle with the top two. Vexatious came out a bit on the chalk in early stretch, but was quickly righted by pilot Jose Lezcano. Point of Honor swiftly folded her tent on the rail, leaving Vexatious and Midnight Bisou to duke it out to the wire and that they did. The pair stormed clear of the rest of the field in a fierce battle to the finish, but Vexatious was always going the better of the two and held Midnight Bisou at bay for a neck success. There was a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run, as well as a claim of foul by Midnight Bisou’s jockey Ricardo Santana, but the result was left as is. It was the first Grade I victory and first win at Saratoga for trainer Jack Sisterson.

“We always thought she had a big win in her and all credit to the filly,” said Sisterson. “I want to say thank you to [owner] Calumet Farm, and my employees for getting her in the best shape possible. We started off the year in allowance races and allowed her to improve, and she deserves it. It’s a whole team effort and I have a lot of people to thank.”

He continued, “We’ll give her a well-deserved few days off and let her jump ahead a bit. Obviously, it’s a Win and You’re In.’ We’ll run her again before the Breeders’ Cup and look forward to being home at Keeneland.”

“I had a perfect trip,” said Lezcano. “My filly broke well. She was relaxed the whole way and just sitting behind the leader. I could feel the other filly [Midnight Bisou] coming and I started asking my filly. Every time the other filly came close to her, my filly dug in. I showed her to the other filly and she kept going. She kept running. We could have gone around one more time and I still would have been in front with my filly.”

As for the beaten favorite Midnight Bisou, co-owner Jeff Bloom said, “She ran a huge race. She barely lost the race. She’s just a remarkable race mare. I think what happened in the race definitely caused a shift in momentum. Is it disappointing to lose? Of course it is. You want to win all of them. They don’t give Grade I races away. You’ve got to go out there and do it. The filly that beat us is a really nice filly. She ran a huge race last out and is on the upswing, and that’s what happens.”

Vexatious last visited the winner’s circle when promoted to first via DQ in the 2018 GIII Dowager S. at Keeneland for Neil Drysdale. Transferred to Jack Sisterson last summer, she checked in second in the track-and-trip Summer Colony S. And was off the board in the GI Spinster S. next out. She kicked off 2020 with a fifth in a tough Oaklawn optional claimer Apr. 30 and was third next out in a turf test at Churchill June 6. The 6-year-old was runner-up to another Eclipse winner in Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. July 11.

Pedigree Notes:

Vexatious is the 35th Grade I winner for the late Giant’s Causeway and is one of the 114 graded winners and 192 stakes winners for the legendary sire. The winner’s dam Dream of Summer captured the GI Apple Blossom H. and won over $1.19-million. She took her talent from the racetrack to the breeding shed, producing the likes of Grade I-winning stallion Creative Cause (Giant’s Causeway) and MGSW & GISP young sire Destin (Giant’s Causeway). The 21-year-old mare is also responsible for the unraced juvenile filly Hippie Cowgirl (Not This Time), who was purchased by Casner Racing for $200,000 at KEESEP. Dream of Summer produced an Uncle Mo filly Jan. 25 of this year and was bred back to Justify.

Saturday, Saratoga
PERSONAL ENSIGN S.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 8-1, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.82, ft.
1–VEXATIOUS, 120, m, 6, by Giant’s Causeway
1st Dam: Dream of Summer (GISW, $1,191,150), by Siberian Summer
2nd Dam: Mary’s Dream, by Skywalker
3rd Dam: Proper Mary, by Properantes
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($150,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Calumet
Farm; B-James C. Weigel & Giant’s Causeway Syndicate, LLC.
(KY); T-Jack Sisterson; J-Jose Lezcano. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 23-4-3-7, $723,985. *Full to Creative Cause, GISW,
$1,039,000; Destin, MGSW & GISP, $947,800.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Midnight Bisou, 124, m, 5, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite, by Repent
2nd Dam: Tour Hostess, by Tour d’Or
3rd Dam: Counsel’s Gal, by High Counsel
($19,000 RNA Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo ’17 OBSAPR).
O-Bloom Racing Stable, LLC (Jeffrey Bloom), Madaket Stables
LLC & Allen Racing LLC.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $100,000.
3–Point of Honor, 120, f, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Zayanna, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Heavenly Cat, by Tabasco Cat
3rd Dam: In Excelcis Deo, by Forty Niner
($825,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners & Stetson Racing, LLC; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY);
T-George Weaver. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 6 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 9.50, 0.30, 3.65.
Also Ran: Motion Emotion, Abounding Joy. Scratched: Bossy Bride. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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‘Bisou’ Seeks to Defend Personal Ensign Title

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) will attempt to successfully defend her title in Saturday’s GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga. Winner of seven of eight starts last year, including three Grade Is, the bay followed her win in this event with a facile score in the GI Beldame S. at Belmont in September. She suffered her sole loss last season in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 2, but had still done more than enough to secure the Eclipse Award as top older mare. Running last most of the way in the $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, the dark bay made a bold late run up the fence to finish a valiant second behind champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day). Midnight Bisou returned to winning ways last out in the GII Fleur de Lis H. at Churchill Downs June 27.

Grade II winner Point of Honor (Curlin) finished second in both the GI CCA Oaks and GI Alabama S. at the Spa last summer. Kicking off this term with a second at Tampa Mar. 7, the chestnut was third in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 18 and rallied to be second by a nose behind She’s a Julie (Elusive Quality) in Belmont’s GI Ogden Phipps S. June 13.

GIII Dowager S. victress Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway) seeks her first victory since taking the 2018 renewal of that test. Off the board in an Apr. 30 allowance at Oaklawn, the bay was third in a June 6 test at Churchill and was best of the rest when second to champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Belmont’s GII Ruffian S. July 11.

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Bloom: ‘Hard To Come Up With Enough Adjectives’ For Midnight Bisou

Midnight Bisou, last year's Eclipse Award-champion Older Dirt Female, has given owner Jeff Bloom plenty of special memories.

The 5-year-old bay daughter of Midnight Lute boasts a resume which consists of 13 graded stakes victories over eight different racetracks and over $7 million in lifetime earnings.

Her sensational career will continue Saturday when she seeks back-to-back victories in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou will attempt a sixth Grade 1 victory in the Personal Ensign having won all five of her triumphs at such caliber over five different surfaces.

As a 3-year-old, Midnight Bisou won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks while conditioned by West Coast-based Bill Spawr before being transferred to Asmussen following a third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Three starts later, she picked up a victory in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing en route to a third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

At age 4, she came back bigger and stronger and put together an Eclipse Award-winning campaign which consisted of Grade 1 victories in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn, Ogden Phipps at Belmont and last year's Personal Ensign. This year, Midnight Bisou has not appeared to have lost any luster having displayed a game inside-closing effort in the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup in February and last out won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs by 8 ¼ lengths.

“Steve couldn't be happier with how well she's doing,” said Bloom, who owns Midnight Bisou in partnership with Madaket Stables and Allen Racing. “She's been remarkable from the get-go, and it's just amazing that she continues to show that. She actually has more to show us.”

Initially slated to go through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale last year, Bloom withdrew his superstar mare from the sale to keep her in training for a 5-year-old campaign.

“We talked about it a lot, but we had made the decision prior to the Breeders' Cup that we would go ahead and campaign her another year and enjoy the ride. Fortunately, it's worked out well and she's already rewarded us substantially,” Bloom said.

Midnight Bisou will attempt to become the first back-to-back winner of the Personal Ensign since champion Beautiful Pleasure (1999-'00). She won last year's running in dramatic fashion, battling through the final furlong with Elate before getting her nose on the wire first and registering a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Talk about a lot of sweat and anxiety waiting out the stretch run and the photo finish which seemed to last forever,” Bloom said. “From a fan's perspective, what an incredible race to watch between two competitive fillies battling it out down the stretch. To end up on the right end of the photo finish was both relief and excitement.”

Never off the board in 21 lifetime starts, Midnight Bisou will be looking to not only defend her title in the Personal Ensign but secure a second Eclipse Award in what is a highly competitive division.

“She's been incredibly consistent throughout her entire career and she's showing us that she's improving,” Bloom said. “It's hard to come up with enough adjectives to describe what kind of a racehorse she is and what she's meant to our family.”

Despite her highly competitive nature on the track, Midnight Bisou is quite gentle around the barn, which Bloom says is one of many reasons why she is so special.

“It's such a perfect combination,” Bloom said. “It's like as soon as she puts her boxing gloves on, she's ready to go in the ring and she's focused. She just knows what she's supposed to do. But around the barn she loves the attention, the love, the affection and she is just so sweet. She's an absolute pleasure to be around.”

Bloom went on to speak of multiple stakes winner Snapper Sinclair, who breezed five furlongs over Saratoga's Oklahoma turf course Sunday morning in 1:03.75. The son of City Zip is possible for action at the Spa this meet, but Bloom said that the primary target is a repeat win in the Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs on September 7.

Snapper Sinclair has shown an affinity for the all-turf course having won the Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase Juvenile during his 2-year-old campaign.

“He'll stay there and train at Saratoga,” Bloom said. “We'll go for a third victory at Kentucky Downs if we can get it done with him. Whether or not he runs at Saratoga prior to the Kentucky Downs meet is still up in the air.

A veteran of 26 starts, the 5-year-old Snapper Sinclair has won on both dirt and turf with his only stakes wins taking place at Kentucky Downs. He has placed four times against graded stakes company on dirt and has accumulated $1,234,760 in earnings.

“He's a millionaire but he's kind of done it the hard way,” Bloom said. “He's got such a large personality. He has that striking white face. He's just a fun and exciting horse.”

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