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Mouffy arrives in time in $150K Perfect Sting

by Mary Eddy

Post-time even-money favorite Mouffy lived up to her odds when hitting the front at the right time in Thursday’s Listed $150,000 Perfect Sting, a one-mile inner turf route for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas and expertly piloted by Frankie Dettori, Augustin Stables’ Kentucky homebred Mouffy relished a drop in class after an off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Modesty last out on May 3 at Churchill Downs. The win marked her first since capturing the Ellis Park Turf in August at its namesake oval.

Mouffy emerged well from the inside post as Moonage Daydream and Damaso broke sharply to draw off in an early pace duel to the first turn. Moonage Daydream skimmed the rail and assumed the lead through the opening quarter-mile in 23.23 seconds over the firm footing.

Mouffy patiently stalked in last-of-5 down the backstretch as Moonage Daydream kept along swiftly at the front and Damaso held second over a keen Lady Beth to her outside. The half-mile elapsed in 47.66 as Lady Beth made a three-wide move under Flavien Prat to come to even terms with Damaso and threaten a toiling Moonage Daydream, who fought on determinedly on the inside but relinquished her command at the top of the stretch.

Dettori stepped on the gas aboard Mouffy and angled his charge widest of all to unleash her strong turn of foot in the lane despite appearing to spin her wheels a touch. Lady Beth put away Damaso near the eighth pole, but the Chad Brown-trained Midnight Mile was full of run between rivals and attempted to split her stablemate Lady Beth and the oncoming Mouffy to be in with a shout in the final sixteenth.

Midnight Mile made one final surge in the last strides to the wire, but Mouffy had enough to inch clear and fend off Midnight Mile by a neck in a final time of 1:35.29. It was one length back to Lady Beth in third with Moonage Daydream edging Damaso for fourth. Main track-only entrants Movie Moxy, Bustin Bay and Royal Poppy were scratched.

Thomas said he was pleased to see Mouffy continue a strong sustained run after a few awkward strides into the stretch.

"It worked out perfect. From a pace scenario, that was exactly what we were hoping for,” Thomas said. “He [Dettori] rode her to perfection like he does, and I'm just thrilled with the result. It looked like the ground might have slipped out from her a little bit [at the top of the stretch] - I think it's pretty dry. The turf is in great order for the lack of rain everyone's had, but I think the turf just gave away from her for a second. She looked like she had a lot of momentum, so it maybe cost her a second to regroup but otherwise it was OK.”

Dettori, aboard for her last two outings, said the talented mare appreciated the swift tempo.

"She needs a fast spot, but I know her now. And then she takes an eighth of a mile to get in fifth gear and once she's rolling, she's rolling,” Dettori said. “She likes a hot pace and she got one today. At Churchill [last out], it was a stop and start kind of scenario which she doesn't like. So today, with the pace throughout the race, it really suited me."

Mouffy is out of the graded-stakes placed Smart Strike mare Truly Together, and is a half-sister to the Thomas-conditioned Truly Quality, who won an allowance tilt here on May 27. Her second dam is 2008 Champion Turf Mare Forever Together.

The Uncle Mo 5-year-old’s 12-5-4-0 record includes two runner-up efforts in graded company this winter at Santa Anita Park in the Grade 3 Megahertz and Grade 2 Buena Vista. She banked $82,500 for her Perfect Sting score while returning $4 on a $2 win ticket.

Thomas added the restricted $135,000 De La Rose on July 31 at Saratoga Race Course could be next for Mouffy.

"We'll digest this and take her up to Saratoga next week and let her enjoy being up there for a little bit,” said Thomas. “The De La Rose is probably the logical move.”

Live racing resumes Friday at the Big A with a nine-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn in Race 8. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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