Spawr thinking Las Virgenes for Midnight Bisou

ARCADIA, Calif. – The breakthrough performance by Midnight Bisou in Sunday’s seven-furlong Santa Ynez Stakes – her first win – has trainer Bill Spawr ready to send her a little farther.

“I think she’ll get a mile,” he said, while walking from the winner’s circle to the paddock late Sunday afternoon.

Spawr and his clients Bloom Racing and Allen Racing will not have to wait long to give Midnight Bisou such a test. The one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes, a Grade 2, $200,000 race, is set for Feb. 4, the afternoon of the Super Bowl.

Midnight Bisou certainly gave a super performance in the Grade 2, $201,035 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Ridden for the first time by Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou was always near the front and took command of the race with a four-wide move in the stretch, drawing off to win by 4 1/2 lengths over Steph Being Steph, a Golden Gate Fields stakes winner in November.

The Santa Ynez was Midnight Bisou’s third start. She was second by a nose behind the unbeaten Dream Tree in a maiden race at Santa Anita in late October and again in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar in November. Dream Tree won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos last month.

Spawr shrugged off those losses on Sunday.

“She had trouble both times,” he said.

Midnight Bisou was bumped at the start of the Desi Arnaz.

Spawr recently added eight horses owned by Peter Redekop of British Columbia, who parted ways with trainer Eddie Truman.

Spawr said the group includes the 3-year-olds Argosy Fleet, who was second in the Santa Anita Juvenile for 2-year-old sprinters last June, and Armored Plate, who was third in the Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-old turf milers in October.