Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Midnight Bisou could make next start in Mother Goose
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Midnight Bisou had her first breeze since finishing third as the Kentucky Oaks favorite when going an easy half-mile Thursday in 51.80 seconds at Churchill Downs for her new trainer, Steve Asmussen.
Asmussen said he hopes to run Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Mother Goose on June 30 at Belmont Park if she progresses in her training as the month unfolds. Midnight Bisou, owned by Allen Racing and Bloom Racing Stable, was based in California with trainer Bill Spawr for her first six starts, including a sweep of the major Oaks preps at Santa Anita, before being turned over to Asmussen with the intent of racing her in the top divisional races on the East Coast during the second half of the year.
“Obviously, she’s a freakishly talented filly and we’re very fortunate to have her,” Asmussen said.
Midnight Bisou, a dark bay Kentucky-bred by Midnight Lute, will be on a regular work schedule while being regrouped from the May 4 Oaks, in which she was never in serious contention. She had a wide trip before rallying to finish 4 1/4 lengths back.
Meanwhile, Asmussen said he has decided not to send Switzerland, winner of the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on the May 19 Preakness undercard at Pimlico, on a charter flight to New York for the Grade 2 True North on Friday at Belmont Park.
“Off his lifetime-best race, the True North is a little too quick back,” Asmussen said.
Belmont Stakes hopeful Tenfold, who was to breeze Saturday at Churchill, will head the Asmussen contingent making the trip Tuesday to New York, along with the speedy 3-year-old Mitole, who could be favored in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens off his latest romp in the Chick Lang on Preakness Day.
Three allowances on tap
A four-day race week will conclude with another solid card, as three of the 10 Sunday races are allowances (races 4,7,9). The richest of those is the seventh, a $64,000 turf sprint for 3-year-olds in which Smart Remark could emerge as the one to beat.
First post Sunday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with a semidepleted Single 6 being offered on races 5-10. Churchill officials got permission this week from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to divert $300,000 of the Single 6 jackpot to a mandatory payout Saturday night, which would still leave about $400,000 going forward (the jackpot stood at $684,595 into Friday action).
In all, 12 allowances were to be run from 38 overall races here this week (Thursday to Sunday), not to mention the two Downs After Dark stakes Saturday (Aristides and Mighty Beau).
Seven Trumpets triumphs
Seven Trumpets earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure in winning an off-the-turf, onemile allowance Thursday in 1:36.92 over a sloppy Churchill surface, marking the first win for the 3-year-old Morning Line colt since last fall.
“It was nice to be back in the winner’s circle with him,” said Dale Romans, who trains Seven Trumpets for West Point Thoroughbreds. “I guess we’ll go looking for a stakes with him again.”
Seven Trumpets was one of a handful of classic hopefuls early this year for Romans after finishing second to Firenze Fire in the Jerome at Aqueduct in January, but three subpar subsequent efforts in stakes led to his return to the allowance ranks. The colt is now 3 for 3 at Churchill and winless in five starts elsewhere.
◗ Monomoy Girl and McCraken were among the bigname horses scheduled to have their final pre-race breezes here Sunday prior to leaving for their Grade 1 engagements on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Monomoy Girl, winner of the Kentucky Oaks, will be favored in the Acorn, while McCraken is a major contender in the Metropolitan Mile.
◗ Mike Lauer, who has been based primarily in Kentucky for most of his 45-year training career, was closing in on the 1,000-win milestone as this week wound down. Into Friday’s action, Lauer had 994 wins to his credit.