Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Midnight Bisou considered for Fleur de Lis, Ogden Phipps
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The connections of Midnight Bisou are leaning toward the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs as the next race for the star mare, although the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park is still in play.
Midnight Bisou, who has been the No. 1-rated horse every week in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll since March 10, has been “training gorgeously” at Churchill, trainer Steve Asmussen said this week. The next race for the 5-year-old mare will be her first since a runner-up finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29.
The 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis will be run June 27, closing day of the 26-day Churchill spring meet. The 1 1/16-mile Phipps will be run two weeks earlier, on June 13, on Belmont’s recently revised stakes schedule.
“Timing-wise, the Fleur de Lis is probably better,” Asmussen said. “That’s our first option.”
A winner of 12 of 20 starts and $7.25 million, Midnight Bisou is owned by the Bloom Racing Stable of Jeff Bloom.
“The Churchill race is what we’d been focused on, but with all the changes and everything, we want to keep our options open,” Bloom said. “We’re keenly aware of how much she loves Belmont,” referring to her perfect record in three starts there, all open-lengths romps, in the 2018 Mother Goose, the 2019 Phipps, and the 2019 Beldame.
Midnight Bisou was scheduled to breeze Thursday at Churchill in what was to be her sixth work since returning from a short break following the Saudi race.
The Phipps or Fleur de Lis could represent a fifth clash between Midnight Bisou and her nemesis, Monomoy Girl, the 5-year-old mare who returned from an 18-month layoff May 16 with a strong allowance win at Churchill. In four meetings as 3-year-olds in 2018, Monomoy Girl finished ahead of Midnight Bisou every time, although one of those, the Cotillion at Parx Racing, was reversed by disqualification.
Trainer Brad Cox said Wednesday he also is considering the Phipps and Fleur de Lis as the next race for Monomoy Girl, “or we might even wait” for the Grade 2 Ruffian on July 11 at Belmont.
Meanwhile, Asmussen said he has yet to decide on a next start for Pneumatic, who was third behind Maxfield and Ny Traffic last Saturday in the Matt Winn when being defeated for the first time in three career starts.
“I thought he put in a solid performance,” Asmussen said, “but obviously he’ll need to improve. I do think there’s improvement to be had there. Clearly that was a stronger field than what he’d met before.”
One other Asmussen star, Finite, recently returned to Churchill following a short rehabilitation stint that followed surgery to remove an ankle chip. David Fiske, racing manager for the filly’s breeder and co-owner, Winchell Thoroughbreds, said the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks remains possible. Finite, a winner in 5 of 8 starts, underwent the surgery after finishing fourth as the 3-10 favorite in the March 21 Fair Grounds Oaks.
Wells Bayou skipping Belmont
Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou will bypass the June 20 Belmont Stakes in favor of the July 8 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand or July 11 Blue Grass at Keeneland, Cox said. Fifth in a division of the Arkansas Derby in his last start, Wells Bayou already has a sufficient number of qualifying points (104) to make the 20-horse cutoff for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.
Cox said Bonny South, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks, probably will race next in the July 11 Ashland at Keeneland, although the July 8 Indiana Oaks also will be considered. The Munnings filly has been breezing on a regular basis at Keeneland since late
April.
Cox added that the June 27 Stephen Foster at Churchill and the July 4 Met Mile at Belmont are in play for Owendale and Warrior’s Charge, both of whom have emerged as major players in the national handicap division.
Two stakes on Saturday card
Asmussen and Cox trainees are among the principals in a terrific renewal of the Winning Colors, one of two filly-mare stakes that highlight an 11-race Saturday card at Churchill. Asmussen has Mia Mischief, and Cox has Break Even in a six-furlong race that also drew Spiced Perfection and Bell’s the One in a field of nine.
The Winning Colors (race 7) and the Mint Julep (race 11) both are Grade 3, $100,000 races. Cox has two of the top contenders among a full gate of 14 in the Mint Julep, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, in Beau Recall and Juliet Foxtrot.
◗ Frank’s Rockette earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure in winning a six-furlong allowance in 1:08.80 on Monday at Churchill. The Bill Motttrained 3-year-old filly now has three wins and four seconds from seven career starts.
Later Monday, Echo Town earned a 92 Beyer in winning a six-furlong allowance in 1:09.05 for Asmussen. The 3-year-old Speightstown colt was beaten a head in the Bachelor at Oaklawn in his previous start.
◗ Marianne Scherer will run her first starter as a trainer when saddling Homeview for the third race Friday. A former longtime exercise rider for Bill Mott, Scherer is the wife of Eric Scherer, a member of the Churchill gate crew, and the daughter-in-law of Merrill Scherer, who said this week he has “mostly retired” from a lengthy training career. Merrill Scherer turns 81 in July.