Elate, Midnight Bisou likely taking separate paths to Breeders' Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. – Midnight Bisou and Elate, the 1-2 finishers in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 24, got back to work recently as they prepare for their next engagements.

On Sunday, Midnight Bisou worked five furlongs in 1:02.31 over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga. Midnight Bisou, the clear leader of the older filly and mare division, is pointing to the Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont on Sept. 28.

Last Friday, Elate worked a half-mile in 49.81 seconds, also over the Oklahoma training track. Trainer Bill Mott said Elate would most likely make her next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Spinster on Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

Mott said the Grade 1 status, larger purse, and the two turns of the Spinster made it more attractive than the one-turn Beldame, which has been downgraded this year to a Grade 2. Also, Elate has been beaten three times by Midnight Bisou this year, including by a nose in the Personal Ensign.

“I don’t know that the two best fillies in the division need to run against each other again in the race before the Breeders’ Cup,” Mott said. “The Personal Ensign was one of the main goals of the year; we got touched off. Our main goal now would be the Breeders’ Cup and we’ll do everything we can do to get there in the best way possible.”

As far as the Breeders’ Cup goes, Mott is still considering pre-entering Elate in both the Classic and Distaff. The Classic, against males, is at 1 1/4 miles, a distance at which Elate has won three times.