Midnight Bisou

Midnight Bisou finished second in her first two career starts in 2017, including a listed stakes at Del Mar, before earning her first career win in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes in early January 2018 at Santa Anita Park.

The 3-year-old Midnight Lute filly won by a commanding 4 ½ lengths in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez under Mike Smith. She subsequently stretched out in distance for the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes and delivered a dominant victory to stamp herself a contender for the Longines Kentucky Oaks.

In her final prep for the Kentucky Oaks, Midnight Bisou was just as sharp, rolling to a 3 ½-length win over Spectator in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 7. Midnight Bisou then finished third in the Kentucky Oaks after rallying from far back following a wide trip.

In her first start following the Kentucky Oaks, Midnight Bisou dominated the opposition in the Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park, putting away Road to Victory at the top of the stretch and powering to a runaway victory.

Following that win, Midnight Bisou squared off against Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl again in the July 22 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. She finished three lengths behind that foe in second after mounting a brief rally at the top of the stretch. Midnight Bisou next ran third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes in August at Saratoga Race Course.

The Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on Sept. 22 brought Midnight Bisou and Monomoy Girl together for a rematch that also featured Canadian classic winnet and Kentucky Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot. Monomoy Girl led into the stretch, where Midnight Bisou made a bold rally to make a race of it. As she closed in on Monomoy Girl from the inside, her familiar rival lugged in, forcing Midnight Bisou to be angle to the outside by jockey Mike Smith. Monomoy Girl then lugged out through the final sixteenth of a mile and carried Midnight Bisou with her. Monomoy Girl crossed the finish line first but was disqualified and placed second for interference, giving Midnight Bisou her second Grade 1 win.

Midnight Bisou next raced in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs, and turned in a good performance when third behind Monomoy Girl and Wow Cat. She returned for a 4-year-old campaign on Jan. 27, 2019, in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park, and got up late to win by three-quarters of a length over Moonlit Garden as the 2-5 favorite. She then rallied from off the pace to defeat Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Shamrock Rose and multiple Grade 1 winner Elate in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes on March 16 at Oaklawn Park.

On April 14, Midnight Bisou extended her 2019 record to a perfect 3-for-3 with hard-fought nose win over Escape Clause in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, with familiar foe Elate finishing third. She continued building on a possible Eclipse Award-winning campaign in her next start, the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes on the June 9 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets undercard. Under a patient ride by Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou tracked leader Come Dancing and effortlessly glided past that foe in midstretch en route to an impressive 3 ½-length victory, her fourth of 2019. Midnight Bisou was again an easy winner in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes on the TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes undercard, winning by a measure length under Smith for her fifth win in as many starts in 2019.

Midnight Bisou faced a major challenge in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes Presented by Lia Infiniti. Familiar rival and multiple Grade 1 winner Elate, who finished second by a neck to Abel Tasman in the race in 2018, seized command in early stretch. But Midnight Bisou steadily cut into her lead under Mike Smith, pulled alongside Elate in deep stretch, and gamely pushed a nose in front in the closing strides to prevail in a thriller. With the win, Midnight Bisou extended her winning streak to six in as many starts in 2019. Midnight Bisou made it 7-for-7 in 2019 when she turned back Wow Cat in deep stretch of the Sept. 28 Beldame Stakes and shook clear late.

Discussion about Midnight Bisou's credentials as Horse of the Year peaked as the filly prepared for the Longines Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 2. Sent off as the even-money favorite in the race, she settled well back off of the early lead under Mike Smith and wheeled out coming into the stretch for a closing rally. Midnight Bisou finished well, but could not catch multiple Grade 1 winner Blue Prize and settled for second, ending her unbeaten winning streak for the year.

She was honored at the 2019 Eclipse Awards for her near-perfect campaign with the award for Champion older dirt female.

Midnight Bisou made her 2020 debut in the first running of the Saudi Cup for a purse of $20 million at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She rallied gamely to finish second to fellow champion Maximum Security. She returned to her own division to face females in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap June 27 at Churchill Downs and made easy work of six rivals in an 8 1/4-length runaway. Seeking a repeat win in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes Aug. 1 at Saratoga, Midnight Bisou was upset as the even-money favorite by a determined Vexatious, who would not let her past in deep stretch.

Midnight Bisou is owned by Allen Racing, Bloom Racing Stable and Madekat Stables.