Midnight Bisou earns first victory in Santa Ynez

Jan 08, 2018 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

Allen Racing LLC and Bloom Racing Stable LLC’s Midnight Bisou recorded a 4 1/2-length victory in Sunday’s $201,035 Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park to both break her maiden and debut on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard.

The seven-furlong affair was the first 2018 contest on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series of points races, and awarded Midnight Bisou 10 points toward a starting berth in the May 4 Kentucky Oaks (G1). The Midnight Lute filly debuted in eighth on the Oaks Leaderboard.

Midnight Bisou just missed by a nose in her initial two starts, a maiden at Santa Anita last October 27 and Del Mar’s Desi Arnaz Stakes on November 18. She entered the Santa Ynez with jockey Mike Smith in the irons for the first time, and was sent off the 9-5 second choice. The Bill Spawr trainee stalked four wide the early pace set by War Heroine before taking over in the lane and pulling away to stop the clock in 1:23.40 over the fast main track.

Midnight Bisou is now 3-1-2-0, $150,000 in her career. Bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds, the dark bay lass is out of the Grade 3-winning Repent mare Diva Delite, and comes from the same female line as champion and sire Cherokee Run.

Steph Being Steph, the second longest shot on the board at 25-1, challenged War Heroine on the backstretch before hooking up with 8-5 favorite Win the War in the stretch. The bay miss got her head-bobbing nose in front on the line to take second and four points toward the Oaks. She made her Leaderboard bow in 17th.

Win the War was looking to keep her unbeaten mark perfect but wound up third in her first try over a conventional dirt track. She now sits in 21st on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with two points.

Yesterday’s News followed another 3 1/4 lengths behind the favorite in fourth, good for one point and the 11th position on the Leaderboard. She previously earned four points for running second in the Starlet Stakes (G1) and boasts a total of five points.

Completing the order of finish in the Santa Ynez were Allianna, War Heroine, Just a Smidge and Streetwithnoname.