Tom Amoss | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Serengeti Empress Up For The ‘Challenge,’ Faces Off With Midnight Bisou In Fleur De Lis

Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) winner Serengeti Empress is ready for her showdown versus 2019 Champion Midnight Bisou in Saturday's $200,000 Fleur de Lis presented by Coca-Cola (GII) at Churchill Downs – a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In Distaff Division” race.

“If you want to talk about a challenge, this is it,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “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.”

The speedy Serengeti Empress 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 the Longines 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 from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Go Google Yourself (Brian Hernandez Jr., Paul McGee, 8-1); Another Broad (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 12-1); Chocolate Kisses (Declan Carroll, Mark Casse, 12-1); Serengeti Empress (Joe Talamo, Amoss, 2-1); Midnight Bisou (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen, 3-5); Red Dane (Corey Lanerie, Charlie LoPresti, 50-1); and Motion Emotion (Julien Leparoux, Richard Baltas, 15-1).

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

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.

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Tom Amoss Joins TDN Writers’ Room to Talk No Parole, Serengeti Empress, Racing Broadcasts and More

With a newly-minted Grade I winner in his barn and another set to hit the track this weekend, trainer Tom Amoss joined the TDN Writers’ Room podcast presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning for an illuminating discussion that covered a wide variety of topics, big and small. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Amoss explained the success of barn stars No Parole (Violence) and Serengeti Empress (Alternation), talked about what he’s learned from branching out into broadcasting and offered his take on why racing has a difficult time catching cheating trainers.

“When No Parole was first making his debut against state-bred company at the Fair Grounds, I recall vividly calling [owner] Maggi Moss and telling her, ‘Hey, this isn’t just a good Louisiana-bred sprinter, this is a very good racehorse,'” Amoss said. “He’s now a Grade I winner, he’s undefeated going one turn in four starts. In the back of our minds, if the horse stays healthy and does good, when he gets to the end of his 3-year-old year, where his maturity level will catch up to the older horses, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint is a possibility. And of course, we think he’d make a heck of a stallion. He’s gorgeous, good looking. He just won an important stallion race [Saturday’s GI Woody Stephens S.]. So we’ve got that on our mind as well.”

Serengeti Empress, who provided Amoss with a signature victory when capturing the GI Kentucky Oaks last spring, prepares to take on champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) this Saturday in the GII Fleur de Lis S. at Churchill Downs.

“She’s run well here, not only in the Kentucky Oaks, but the year before, when she won her first graded stake as a 2-year-old. So all those things led us to want to try this race,” Amoss said. “I’ve got tremendous respect for the champion, Midnight Bisou, and I know it has to be our best day to beat her. But the game plan is simple. To [jockey Joe] Talamo, I’m simply going to say, ‘Make the lead. Make the lead no matter what.’ And then that’s where Serengeti’s heart gets big and she does what she does best, use her speed to try to bury the field. That’s a big, big statement when you’re going against a champion, but we’ll see what happens.”

Amoss has gained attention outside of his training accomplishments for his role as an analyst on the NYRA-produced America’s Day at the Races broadcast on Fox Sports 1. He talked about how his impressions of the sport have shifted with his new part-time job and the importance of racing’s presentation in the current climate.

“Right now, horse racing has this window to attract some new people to the sport, but no one’s going to turn on a show where the talk is so over their head that they can’t follow along,” Amoss said. “So I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our industry to present the sport to a group of people that don’t know anything about it and maybe get them attracted to it. What have I learned from doing the show? I’ve learned to watch my words, but not stay silent. If there’s something I believe, no matter whose feelings I might hurt, I’m out to tell you what I see and what I observe. So I’ve learned to have a thick skin as far as that goes, but to say it in the right way.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers recapped the GI Belmont S. and the breathtaking performance of Gamine (Into Mischief) in the GI Acorn S. and looked forward to another big weekend of racing. In the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, the crew discussed the developments in fans being allowed on track in some parts of the country and whether or not that will extend to the GI Kentucky Derby. Click here to listen to the podcast and click here to watch it on Vimeo.

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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.

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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