Midnight Bisou dominant in Santa Anita Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – In the last three weeks owner Jeff Bloom has gone to Dubai for work and then Russia for play, flew home to California, went racing in New Orleans, scouted 2-year-olds in Florida, returned to Dubai, then came back to California for a 2-year-old sale.

But the place he most wanted to be Saturday was right where he ended up. Bloom was in the winner’s circle at Santa Anita following the Grade 1, $401,380 Santa Anita Oaks after the victory of his filly Midnight Bisou, and as Bloom let the moment wash over him, the reality that he had won the biggest race of the meet for 3-year-old fillies, and had a top prospect for the Kentucky Oaks, left him – almost – without words.

“This is a rare moment for me. I’m speechless,” said Bloom, a former jockey who is the managing partner of Bloom Racing and also does broadcasting work for HRRN. “I can’t believe I just won the Santa Anita Oaks.”

Believe it. Midnight Bisou confirmed her status as the best 3-year-old filly on the West Coast, and as a major player for the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs, with an emphatic 3 1/2-length victory over Spectator in a race worth 100 points for first and 40 for second toward a berth in the Kentucky Oaks. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to third-place Thirteen Squared, then came, in order, Exuberance, Fool’s Paradise, First Dudette, We All Have Dreams, Finess Bere, and Spring Lily.

The main track was fast, but dull. Midnight Bisou completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.79.

Midnight Bisou lagged well off the pace, then cut loose on the far turn with a rally that took her from eighth to first in about a quarter-mile. She drew clear from Spectator in the final furlong and gave her jockey, Mike Smith, a sweep of the day’s biggest races, as Smith an hour earlier won the Santa Anita Derby with Justify.

“The amount of ground she made up was amazing,” Smith said. “Even though I was that far back I was very confident. She was back there, comfortable and happy. What a turn of foot she had.”

Midnight Bisou ($3.20) was favored after winning the Grade 2 Santa Ynez and Grade 3 Santa Ysabel earlier this meet, both after Smith became her rider. She has now won 3 of her 5 starts after beginning her career with two nose losses, one in a stakes race. She’s basically two noses away from being unbeaten. She earned $240,000 on Saturday and has career earnings of $450,000.

“She’s special,” said her trainer, the respected local veteran Bill Spawr, who will be running a horse in the Kentucky Oaks for the first time.

Midnight Bisou, a daughter of Midnight Lute, is owned by Bloom Racing, Chuck and Lori Allen, and Andrew Yaffe, who has been an investor in Bloom Racing since its founding seven years ago. Spawr credited the owners with Midnight Bisou’s success, saying they were patient in letting her wait until October to make her debut after buying her at auction one year ago for $80,000.

“It’s a great partnership,” Spawr said. “They were very patient with us.”

Bloom was thrilled for Spawr, who won the Santa Anita Oaks for the first time.

“It’s neat to see Bill so excited,” Bloom said.

This week, it’ll be time for Bloom to catch up on his sleep before hitting the road again for another 2-year-old sale in Florida. The whirlwind tour left him exhausted, and, on Saturday, exhilarated.

“Today is the first day I’ve felt normal, not wondering what time zone I’m in,” Bloom said, “and to have it finish up like it did today, I’m speechless on so many levels.”