Midnight Bisou to ship east week of Kentucky Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Midnight Bisou and Skye Diamonds will be late arrivals to Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby weekend stakes engagements, trainer Bill Spawr said Thursday at his Santa Anita stable.

Midnight Bisou, impressive winner of the Santa Anita Oaks, ships to Churchill Downs on April 30, four days before she runs in the Kentucky Oaks on May 4. Skye Diamonds, the graded stakes winner targeting the Humana Distaff on May 5, will be on the same flight.

Spawr said Midnight Bisou came out of her Santa Anita Oaks victory “like she wasn’t even tired.” The 3 1/2-length victory was her third straight, and second around two turns.

“We’ve had two easy races where [jockey Mike Smith] did not pull the stick on her,” Spawr said.

Midnight Bisou, who has three wins and two seconds from five starts, would likely have her final major workout on April 28 at Santa Anita, Spawr said.

Skye Diamonds, who won two graded stakes last year, finished third both starts this season including a 5 3/4-length loss last out in the Grade 2 Santa Monica.

“I’m going to throw the race out,” Spawr said. “The whole race was a debacle; there was one [fast] path that every rider was trying to get to.”

Skye Diamonds has won six races and $455,100 since Spawr claimed her for $40,000 in late 2016. Midnight Bisou and Skye Diamonds are owned by partnerships that include Allen Racing and Bloom Racing Stable.

Spawr scored the biggest win of his career at Churchill Downs in 2011 when Amazombie won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.