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Midnight Bisou Heads to U.S.; Chance It Breezes Bullet

Author: Don Mckee
Published: Tuesday March 03, 2020
The 5-year-old mare Midnight Bisou, runner-up in the $20 million Saudi Cup, is heading back to the U.S. on March 6 to prepare for a domestic campaign.

The plans were confirmed by owner Jeff Bloom on March 3 after a report stated both the Saudi Cup winner Maximum Security and the 11th-place finisher McKinzie will be heading back home. Mucho Gusto (fourth in the Saudi Cup) and Tacitus (fifth) will stay in the Middle East and train for the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) March 28 at Meydan Racecourse. 

Bloom owns the daughter of Midnight Lute along with Madaket Stables and Allen Racing.

"She ran such an incredibly big race, and the other race (in Dubai) comes up a little quick," said Bloom. "It's a timing thing. We can get her back home after being on the road for a while and thought it would be best to get her settled down and geared up for a 2020 season here where she can be home and hopefully have another championship season."

First Race Against Males

Midnight Bisou, a champion older dirt filly of 2019, ran strong along the rail in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup. She finished within three-quarters-of-a-length of Maximum Security in what was her first race against males in her 20-race career. She finished two lengths ahead of Godolphin's Benbatl, who finished third in a field of 14.

Midnight Bisou earned $3.5 million for the second-place finish, bringing her total up to $7.25 million. 

According to Bloom, he will meet with trainer Steve Asmussen after the filly returns. 

"At this point, we want to get her back home and settled," Bloom said. "Then we'll look at the Breeders' Cup and work backwards from there. Steve and I decided when she gets back here, we'll sit down and put another map together that puts her in an opportunity to do the things she does the right way. 

"Right now, we don't have a very specific race and targets planned, but it will be easy to put one together. We won't rule out anything. Anything is open for discussion."

Chance It

While Midnight Bisou is preparing to return home, Shooting Star Thoroughbreds' Chance It breezed a bullet half-mile March 2 at Gulfstream Park. It was just five days out from his scheduled graded stakes debut in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

The Currency Swap colt drew the outside post after being entered in the Feb. 29 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), but trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. scratched the morning of the race and decided to wait for the March 7 Road to the Kentucky Derby prep at Tampa Bay Downs. 

Chance It worked four furlongs on March 2 in :47.28 on a fast main track, and it was the fastest move of 23 at the distance.

"Everything went fine. He worked good; Tyler Gaffalione worked him. All's well," Joseph said. "He's going to go to Tampa now."

Chance It is a two-time winner in the Florida Sire Stakes series, and he faced open company for the first time in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 4. He pushed forward to win by a head after falling behind in the stretch. 

The Tampa Bay Derby awards qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

"I think he's that kind of horse, and now he's going to get his chance to show it," Joseph said. "We just need to have a good week. Hopefully, everything goes to plan, and he gets to show how good he is."