Midnight Bisou queen of the 3-year-old filly division hill

ARCADIA, Calif. - At the end of the backstretch in Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, Midnight Bisou was close to the rear of a field of nine 3-year-old fillies and in the midst of a wide rally. By early stretch, Midnight Bisou was in front and on her way to a comfortable victory by 3 1/2 lengths.

Trainer Bill Spawr expected Midnight Bisou to win. She was the 3-5 favorite and in peak form, Spawr said the before the race. Still, the style of the victory left him stunned.

“That was scary,” Spawr recalled Sunday morning. “Wow. I can’t believe what I saw.”

Midnight Bisou confirmed her status at the fore of the nation’s 3-year-old filly division in advance of her first trip outside of California for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 4.

Spawr, who trains Midnight Bisou for Allen Racing and Bloom Racing Stable, says Midnight Bisou will be ready for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks, which is run at 1 1/8 miles.

“She’s improved mentally and physically with each start,” he said. “She ate everything and acted normal. I see improvement in her.”

Midnight Bisou has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $450,000. She was second in her first two starts as a 2-year-old – a maiden race and the Desi Arnaz Stakes, losing each by a nose to Dream Tree. This year, Midnight Bisou is unbeaten in three starts, beginning with the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs Jan. 7.

By Midnight Lute, Midnight Bisou won her first start around two turns in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 3.

Midnight Bisou may be the only California-based 3-year-old filly in the Kentucky Oaks. Spectator and Thirteen Squared, who were second and third in the $401,380 Santa Anita Oaks, are not expected to start.

Spectator is under consideration for the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at a mile for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park on June 9. Trainer Bob Baffert said in a text message Sunday that Thirteen Squared will not run in the Kentucky Oaks. As of Sunday, both fillies had sufficient qualifying points to gain a berth in the Kentucky Oaks, which will have a safety limit of 14 runners.

There is a possibility Spectator could remain in California for the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on June 16, a $200,000 race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, but trainer Phil D’Amato said the $700,000 purse of the Acorn Stakes has significant appeal.

Spectator, who won the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar last August for owners Rick and Sharon Waller, returned to racing on March 18 after a six-month layoff to win an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at 6 1/2 furlongs against older fillies and mares.

D’Amato said he wants to avoid over-racing Spectator at the start of her 3-year-old season.

“We’ll see about the Kentucky Oaks,” D’Amato said. “We did so much in a short period of time. We want to campaign her through the year and years to come.”