With opportunities on East Coast, Midnight Bisou sent to Asmussen

The desire to take advantage of multiple Grade 1 opportunities on the East Coast for 3-year-old fillies the rest of the year, coupled with the Breeders’ Cup Distaff being at Churchill Downs this fall, has caused the Bloom Racing syndicate to leave Midnight Bisou at Churchill Downs and turn her over to trainer Steve Asmussen, Jeff Bloom, Bloom Racing’s managing partner, said Monday.

Midnight Bisou finished third as the favorite Friday in the Kentucky Oaks. She came out of the race “in excellent shape,” Bloom said, and the Acorn Stakes on June 9, on the Belmont Stakes undercard, is the next target.

Midnight Bisou had been trained until now by California-based Bill Spawr, who guided Midnight Bisou to a record of three wins, two seconds, and a Kentucky Oaks third in six starts. Midnight Bisou had won three straight races heading into the Kentucky Oaks, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks.

“This has nothing to do with taking her away from Bill Spawr and everything to do with the opportunities for 3-year-old fillies coming up, all of which are on the East Coast, like the Acorn, the Alabama, and the Coaching Club American Oaks,” said Bloom, who still has several horses with Spawr, including, in partnership, the stakes-winning older female sprinter Skye Diamonds. “We’re taking advantage of what the options are for this filly’s path the remainder of the year.

“Bill and his team have done an exceptional job. This is not a trainer change as much as it is taking advantage of an opportunity. It’s all about what’s going on now and the rest of the year and how we want to get there. We do plenty of work with Steve, so it’s an obvious fit.”

Bloom Racing has a number of horses in training with Asmussen, including the stakes-winning 3-year-old Snapper Sinclair.

Asmussen twice has trained the Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old filly. Rachel Alexandra won the title in 2009, when she also was named Horse of the Year, and Untapable won it in 2014, when she won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Midnight Bisou, a daughter of Midnight Lute, was purchased by Bloom as a 2-year-old in training for $80,000. She has earned $511,000.