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Moonage Daydream doubles up on New York-bred stakes in $125K John Hettinger

by Christian Abdo

Chris Larsen’s Moonage Daydream took them all the way to win her second consecutive state-bred stakes in Thursday’s $125,000 John Hettinger, a nine-furlong inner turf test for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Moonage Daydream was one of three entrants for trainer Jorge Abreu, but she brought the most class after winning the state-bred Yaddo Handicap last-out traveling 1 1/16 miles on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course. The Hettinger marked Moonage Daydream’s third overall stakes triumph, after also capturing the open Stewart Manor sprinting six furlongs in November 2022 here.

“I was a little concerned when they broke because I told all three of them there was no speed in the race and my three horses were 1-2-3,” Abreu said of the gate-to-wire score. “Turning for home, when I saw her ears up, I knew she was going to be tough to go by.”

Piloted by Flavien Prat, the 4-year-old Candy Ride bay broke alertly from post 7 and quickly assumed command. Stablemates Scoring Chance and Busy Morning, breaking from the outermost post 9 and inside post, traveled in second and third position, respectively, as Moonage Daydream led the field through an easy opening quarter-mile in 25.06 seconds on the firm turf.

Silver Skillet, the 8-5 mutuel favorite under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, was expected to be among the pacesetters, but broke inward and was in tight exiting the chute.

“It was not the gameplan to make the lead, but she jumped well, and we were all in the same boat where nobody really wanted to go,” Prat explained. “It just felt natural for her to be there, and I thought she was happy there, so I left her alone.”

The Abreu-trainees continued to travel 1-2-3 in the first turn with Whatlovelookslike, who stumbled at the start, creeping up along the outside of Busy Morning as the half-mile elapsed in 51.58.

“When I saw that 51 I took a big breather there. I said, ‘I hope they don’t go 49 or 48,’ because then you set up the race and the six-horse [Whatlovelookslike] was coming at her,” said Abreu.

Down the backside, Moonage Daydream continued to have it her own way while Whatlovelookslike improved to third position and Marvelous Maude, a closing runner-up in the Yaddo, looked to get going after three-quarters in 1:16.58.

In the far turn, the Dylan Davis-piloted Whatlovelookslike gained to the outside of the pacesetter, but Prat sat chilly as Marvelous Maude, Silver Skillet, and Can’t Fool Me were asked to pick it up by their riders approaching the top of the lane.

With a half-length advantage at the stretch call, Prat asked Moonage Daydream to fend off the oncoming Whatlovelookslike who was inching closer with every stride. A game Moonage Daydream turned back that rival to prevail by a head, stopping the clock in a final time of 1:52.01.

“At the eighth-pole I didn’t know,” said Prat of the stretch duel. “But she was brave enough and found another gear to hold on.”

It was 4 1/4 lengths back to Can’t Fool Me, who was in last after the opening quarter-mile, with Silver Skillet another neck back rounding out the superfecta. Marvelous Maude, Busy Morning, Snowy Evening, Scoring Chance and Power and Glory completed the order of finish.

Abreu said Moonage Daydream will look to make it three wins in-a-row in the 1 1/16-mile $200,000 Ticonderoga against fellow state-bred fillies and mares on October 27 here.

“That’s going to be her next race and then she’s going to go on a break,” Abreu said.

Davis said that the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Whatlovelookslike was compromised by her stumble at the start and the modest early splits.

“She was a little bit anxious at the gate and she had a little stumble coming out of there," Davis said. "I tried to switch her to the outside to challenge the frontrunner and she gave it an honest try. She fought hard all the way to the wire.

“I tried to attack him [Prat, aboard Moonage Daydream] a little earlier and thought we had it, but the horse was pretty game. They both fought pretty hard to the wire,” Davis added.

Bred by 3C Stable, Moonage Daydream, out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Elatha, banked $68,750 in victory while improving her record to 11-5-1-0 and returning $11.80 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Friday with a nine-race card that features the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole, a nine-furlong inner turf test for state-bred 3-year-olds and upward, in Race 8. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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