Midnight Bisou easily passes two-turn test in Santa Ysabel

ARCADIA, Calif. – This could be an interesting spring for Midnight Bisou, the winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita.

In her first start around two turns, Midnight Bisou easily beat four rivals in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. The race lost much of its appeal on Saturday morning when the undefeated Dream Tree was scratched by trainer Bob Baffert, who opted not to start his filly on a wet-fast racetrack.

Regardless of the competition, Midnight Bisou ($2.60) handled the assignment.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou closed from third in a field of five to win by 2 1/4 lengths over 8-1 Thirteen Squared. Midnight Bisou rallied three wide on the turn to take the lead in early stretch.

“I thought she had them,” trainer Bill Spawr said. “When you press on her and ask her, she kicks it.”

Midnight Bisou was timed in 1:41.10. Smith hardly used his whip, tapping Midnight Bisou in a back-handed motion a few times in the final sixteenth. Midnight Bisou earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Thirteen Squared, fourth behind Dream Tree in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 4, finished second, eight lengths in front of Spring Lily, a 7-2 shot who had her stakes debut on Saturday. Sweetsongofthenile and One Fast Broad completed the order of finish.

Midnight Bisou, by Midnight Lute, has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $210,000 for Allen Racing and Bloom Racing. She was second by a nose to Dream Tree in her first two starts and only races as a 2-year-old – a maiden race here last October and the minor Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar in November.

In her 3-year-old debut, Midnight Bisou won for the first time in her career in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 7.

The Santa Ysabel Stakes was a prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 7, Spawr said.