Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Just An Amazing Mare,’ Midnight Bisou Wins Fleur De Lis In A Laugher

Midnight Bisou, the 2019 Champion Older Dirt Female by Midnight Lute, proved her class was undeniable when she powered past speedy pacesetter and last year's Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress leaving the far turn and easily drew away in the stretch for a widening 8 1/4-length win over Motion Emotion in Saturday's 45^th running of the $200,000 Fleur de Lis (Grade II) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Under the care of Hall of Fame duo trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:48.99. By winning the Fleur de Lis, she secured a “Win and You're In” berth to the $2-million Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. But will she run in the Distaff or Breeders' Cup Classic against open company?

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.

“She's a really special mare,” said Asmussen, who won four races Saturday to take a 746-to-742 lead over Dale Romans for most wins by a trainer at Churchill Downs in the track's storied history. “To come back, in that sort of style, is just tremendous. She has such an amazing talent and such a great relationship with Mike. She beat a wonderful-looking group of mares. We have nothing but respect towards them.”

Serengeti Empress, as expected, dictated the pace in the field of seven fillies and mares through swift fractions of :23.18, :46.15 and 1:09.74. She widened to a three-length advantage nearing the far turn but champion Midnight Bisou had her in sight throughout. The winner began to move near the five-sixteenths pole with a three-wide move, easily took command at the top of the lane and drew off in the stretch under a complete hand ride.

“She's just an amazing mare,” Smith said. “I actually had took the lead a little before I wanted to. We were planning on laying a little bit closer but the way Serengeti Empress was winging it on the front end we were a little further back. She's just incredibly special.”

Midnight Bisou, the 1-2 favorite in the wagering, paid $3, $2.60 and $2.10. Motion Emotion, with jockey Julien Leparoux aboard, paid $10.20 and $5.20. Another Broad, ridden by John Velazquez. finished third another 1 ½ lengths back of the runner-up and returned $5.

Serengeti Empress, Red Dane (ITY), Go Google Yourself and Chocolate Kisses rounded out the field.

Midnight Bisou improved her record to 21-13-5-3 boosting her career earnings of a whopping $7,371,520. She was bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds.

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Midnight Bisou Back to Her Best GII Fleur de Lis

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) was back to her best form Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning the GII Fleur de Lis H. with ease in her first start back on U.S. soil since finishing an ultra-game second in the Saudi Cup in February. GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) jetted straight to the lead, while favored Midnight Bisou bided her time back in mid-pack through a brisk :23.18 first quarter. Inched closer by Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou moved up into third, while still several lengths off the pacesetter, as the half went in :46.15. Charging up on the leader’s outside entering the far turn, the Eclipse winner rocketed past Serengeti Empress at the top of the lane and effortlessly cruised clear under a motionless Smith to win for fun. Motion Emotion (Take Charge Indy) held second with Another Broad (Include) in third and Serengeti Empress faded to fourth. With her victory in the Fleur de Lis, Midnight Bisou secured a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November.

“She’s a really special mare,” said Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. “To come back, in that sort of style, is just tremendous. She has such an amazing talent and such a great relationship with Mike. She beat a wonderful-looking group of mares. We have nothing but respect towards them.”

Smith expressed similar sentiments, saying, “She’s just an amazing mare. I actually had took the lead a little before I wanted to. We were planning on laying a little bit closer but the way Serengeti Empress was winging it on the front end we were a little further back. She’s just incredibly special.”

Midnight Bisou captured six of her seven starts last term, including the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign S. She prepped for the Breeders’ Cup with a facile score in Belmont’s GII Beldame Invitational S. in September and finished 1 1/2 lengths shy of Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) when second in the Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 2. Scratched from the Fasig-Tipton November sale to stay in training another season, Midnight Bisou was a never-in-doubt winner of the Eclipse Award for top older dirt female. Making her seasonal bow in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, the dark bay rallied up the rail to finish a valiant second to fellow champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day).

Pedigree Notes:

Midnight Bisou is the only Eclipse winner by Midnight Lute and is one of four Grade I winners, 13 graded winners and 33 black-type winners for that Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion. Her Grade III-winning dam Diva Delite summoned $1.2 million from David Redvers at last term’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale, carrying a foal by Justify. The 13-year-old mare also has an unraced 3-year-old colt named Warrior in Charge (Warrior’s Reward); a juvenile filly by Wicked Strong; and a yearling colt by Pioneerof the Nile.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
FLEUR DE LIS S.-GII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 6-27, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.99, ft.
1–MIDNIGHT BISOU, 124, m, 5, by Midnight Lute
1st Dam: Diva Delite (GSW, $300,067), 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; J-Mike E. Smith. $121,520. Lifetime
Record: Ch. Older Dirt Female & MGISW, 21-13-5-3,
$7,371,520. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Motion Emotion, 120, f, 4, Take Charge Indy–Golden Motion,
by Smart Strike. ($55,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Abbondanza
Racing, LLC, Mark DeDomenico LLC & Medallion Racing;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $39,200.
3–Another Broad, 120, m, 5, Include–Dynamic Deputy, by
Deputy Minister. ($340,000 4yo ’19 KEENOV). O-Farfellow
Farm, Ltd.; B-Fitzhugh, LLC (MD); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $19,600.
Margins: 8 1/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 0.50, 34.00, 25.90.
Also Ran: Serengeti Empress, Red Dane (Ity), Go Google Yourself, Chocolate Kisses.
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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Street Sense Colt Cazadero Punctual Favorite In Bashford Manor

Odds-on favorite Cazadero reaffirmed his dazzling 8 3/4-length debut win with another impressive performance at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., in Saturday's 119th running of the $100,000 Bashford Manor (Grade III), beating County Final by 4 3/4 lengths while running six furlongs in 1:09.73.

Sent to post as the 2-5 favorite in a field of seven 2-year-olds, Stonestreet Stables' homebred Cazadero tracked pacesetter County Final, who blitzed his way to the front through swift fractions of a :21.24 and :45.12. Off the turn, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. shook the reins on Cazadero, who quickly drew even with the leader at the three-sixteenths pole and asserted himself in deep stretch for the comfortable victory.

“He is an incredibly nice horse,” Santana said. “We sat in a really good spot today and was very comfortable. He kept finding his stride throughout the stretch.”

It was the record sixth Bashord Manor win for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who previously won the juvenile event with Lunarpal (2004), Kodiak Kowboy (2007), Kantharos (2010), Cinco Charlie (2014) and Sir Truebadour (2018).

“He's been a very fast horse in his training and handled everything very well today,” Asmussen said.

Cazadero's triumph was worth $60,760 and increased his bankroll to $106,160 with a perfect record in two starts. His debut win came May 29 at Churchill Downs in a five-furlong maiden special weight.

Cazadero is a 2-year-old son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense out of the Forest Wildcat mare Wild Gams. He was bred in Kentucky by his owner Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC.

“He was a later foal (born May 8, 2018) but we knew he was wickedly fast,” Banke said. “He grew up on our farm and has showed that speed in his two starts.”

Cazadero returned $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10. County Final, under James Graham at 16-1, paid $6.80 and $4.80 and finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Herd Immunity who paid $4.60 to show under Brian Hernandez Jr. at 12-1.

Hulen, Hyperfocus, Gatsby and Crown and Coke completed the order of finish.

First run in 1902, the Bashford Manor is named for the former Louisville Thoroughbred breeding and racing farm that dominated the American racing scene in the early 1900s. George J. Long, a wealthy foundry owner, purchased Bashford Manor Farm in 1887 and developed his Thoroughbred operation that provided him two Derby wins as an owner, 1892 (Azra) and 1906 (Sir Huon), and three as a breeder, 1892 (Azra), 1899 (Manuel) and 1906 (Sir Huon). In addition, Bashford Manor also won the Kentucky Oaks in 1894 (Selika) and 1915 (Kathleen). The original Wilder family owned Bashford Manor. The Wilders were direct descendants of Lord Baltimore, whose English home was also called Bashford Manor. Long died in 1930 and the farm was eventually sold in 1973 to make way for the development of a mall complex, fittingly named Bashford Manor, that formally closed in 2003.

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TDN Rising Star Cazadero takes the GIII Bashford Manor

Stonestreet Stables homebred Cazadero made good on his ‘TDN Rising Star’ tag with a dominant victory in the GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Demolishing the field by 8 3/4 lengths in his five-panel unveiling beneath the Twin Spires May 29, the Steve Asmussen pupil was heavily favored to repeat in this first juvenile graded stakes of the season. Breaking sharply, Cazadero tracked from a two-wide fourth as longshot County Final (Oxbow) blazed through a :21.24 first quarter. Ranging up two wide on the far turn, the bay took charge in mid-stretch and powered clear under a vigorous hand ride from Ricardo Santana to win as he pleased.

“He’s been a very fast horse in his training and handled everything very well today,” said conditioner Steve Asmussen.

“He was a later foal but we knew he was wickedly fast,” said Stonestreet principal Barbara Banke. “He grew up on our farm and has showed that speed in his two starts.”

Pedigree Notes:

Cazadero is the 32nd graded winner and 69th black-type scorer for champion Street Sense. He is bred on the same Street Sense/Forest Wildcat cross as Grade I victress Callback. Barbara Banke’s operation purchased the winner’s MGSW & GISP dam Wild Gams for $1-million at the 2008 KEENOV Sale. She is also the dam of SW Mt. Brave (Malibu Moon) and GSP Almost Famous (Unbridled’s Song). Wild Gams did not produce a foal in 2019, but had a Good Magic colt Mar. 2 of this year.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
BASHFORD MANOR S.-GIII, $100,000, Churchill Downs, 6-27, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.73, ft.
1–CAZADERO, 120, c, 2, by Street Sense
1st Dam: Wild Gams (MGSW & GISP-USA, SP-Can,
$1,198,486), by Forest Wildcat
2nd Dam: Diamonds and Legs, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Ah Love, by Lear Fan
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($120,000
RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP). ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Stonestreet Stables
LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven
M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $60,760. Lifetime Record:
2-2-0-0, $106,160. *1/2 to Mt. Brave (Malibu Moon), SW,
$157,857; Almost Famous (Unbridled’s Song), GSP, $180,688.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–County Final, 120, c, 2, Oxbow–Tapajo, by Tapit. ($9,500 Ylg
’19 KEESEP). O-John Ennis, Hayden Noriega & 47 Roses, LLC;
B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-John Ennis. $19,600.
3–Herd Immunity, 120, c, 2, Union Rags–Enhanced, by Malibu
Moon. ($12,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $25,000 2yo ’20 OBSMAR).
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Mike G. Rutherford (KY);
T-Peter Miller. $9,800.
Margins: 4 3/4, 1 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.40, 16.00, 12.60.
Also Ran: Hulen, Hyperfocus, Gatsby, Crown and Coke.
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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