Midnight Bisou drills, targets Santa Ysabel Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Midnight Bisou, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes last month, is not part of Sunday’s Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by design, trainer Bill Spawr said on Friday.

If plans go as expected, Midnight Bisou will be joining the division’s leading races soon. Midnight Bisou worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 on Friday. After the workout, Spawr said Midnight Bisou will be pointed for the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies on March 3.

The Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 7 is another goal. The Las Virgenes Stakes is likely to produce a few runners for the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks, which is run at 1 1/16 miles.

“We’ve got a campaign set up, and we want to be ready,” Spawr said.

The Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 4 is an intended target for Midnight Bisou.

Owned by Allen Racing and Bloom Racing, Midnight Bisou won for the first time in her third start in the Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs.

“I backed up on her after that race,” Spawr said.

Midnight Bisou was second by a nose in her first two starts to Dream Tree, the favorite for the Las Virgenes, losing a maiden race here in October and the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar in November.