Midnight Bisou returning to her roots for Breeders' Cup Distaff

ARCADIA, Calif. – Midnight Bisou is coming back to where it all began, back to Santa Anita as presumptive favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Undefeated this year in six starts, with 11 wins overall and $3.2 million in earnings, Midnight Bisou will be heavily favored Saturday in the Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont Park, after which another low-odds scenario is likely for the Distaff.

Daily Racing Form installed Midnight Bisou as the 2-1 early favorite, the lowest DRF price of the nine early favorites on Breeders’ Cup Saturday. Her odds could drop, depending on which Breeders’ Cup race her main rival enters. Elate, Distaff second choice at 3-1, is under consideration for the Classic.

Midnight Bisou began her career at Santa Anita with trainer Bill Spawr and won three of her first six starts, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks in 2018. After a third in the Kentucky Oaks, Midnight Bisou changed trainers and relocated. She won two of her first five for Steve Asmussen and finished third in the 2018 BC Distaff. At age 4, she has been unstoppable.

Owned by Bloom Racing Stable, Allen Racing, and Madaket Stables, Midnight Bisou this year won graded stakes at Sam Houston, Oaklawn Park, Belmont Park, Monmouth, and Saratoga. Her rivals are taking notice.

Larry Jones trains Street Band, whose upset in the Grade 1 Cotillion last weekend at Parx Racing stamped her a Distaff upset candidate. Street Band will be facing older for the first time, the same as Distaff winners Monomoy Girl (2018), Untapable (2014), Ashado (2004), and Dance Smartly (1991). That does not make it any easier for Street Band.

“Without a doubt, it’s tough,” Jones said this week from Kentucky, where Street Band will train until Breeders’ Cup week. “You’ve got a couple of pretty good older fillies in there. Midnight Bisou has been dominant in everything. And Elate, if she decides to come into the Distaff, that’s another heavy head you’ve got to worry about.”

Jones can take comfort in the fact he trains the only top Distaff contender that has completed her preps. She did it while earning the best number of her career, a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Her last number, in the Cotillion, at least puts her in the thick of it,” Jones said. “It gets her in there so with her best race, you’ve got a shot.”

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Sophie Doyle rode Street Band her last nine starts.

“Her and Sophie are definitely on the same page,” Jones said. “She’s learning to relax, and for some reason she decided she’s got it figured out. Plus having a really fast pace [in the Cotillion] didn’t hurt.”

Circumstances were ideal in the Cotillion, including pace and a surface that favored outside lanes. Street Band and Doyle took advantage to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Guarana.

Street Band has won five races and more than $1 million from 12 starts. Her majority owners are Jones and his wife Cindy, and Ray Francis. Medallion Racing owns a 25 percent share in Street Band; MyRaceHorse Stable owns 5 percent.

While the Cotillion put Street Band into the Distaff picture, it may have foiled two other Grade 1 winners. Plans for Cotillion runner-up Guarana are pending, though trainer Chad Brown hinted after the race that the lightly raced filly [four starts] might prefer one turn.

Serengeti Empress, front-running winner of the Kentucky Oaks, finished sixth in the Cotillion after she was unable to make the lead. Trainer Tom Amoss said a Breeders’ Cup decision for Serengeti Empress will be made next week, at the earliest. For now, Street Band is the only 3-year-old on the list of probable Distaff starters.

Three preps remain for the Distaff, including the Beldame on Saturday. A pair of Distaff Win and You’re In races still ahead are the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita and the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes on Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

Midnight Bisou is expected to face Wow Cat (15-1, DRF Distaff line) in the Beldame. Santa Anita-based Distaff contenders Ollie’s Candy (8-1), Secret Spice (10-1), and Paradise Woods (20-1) meet in the Zenyatta. Elate, Dunbar Road (12-1), She’s a Julie (15-1), and Blue Prize (20-1) are nominated to the Spinster.

Entropia, the South American filly that won the year’s first Win and You’re In race for the Distaff, is not expected to run. Entropia won the Group 1 Gran Premio Criadores in May at Palermo in Argeninta. According to Breeders’ Cup officials, she subsequently shipped to the United States but does not have a recorded workout since her arrival.