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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