Angry Moon seeks to end drought

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Angry Moon hasn’t won a race in 17 months, but it certainly isn’t due to a lack of effort.

In his last three dirt sprint tries, Angry Moon has two seconds and a third, the losses coming by a combined two lengths. In his two most recent outings, he has finished second to the likes of Skyler’s Scramjet and Do Share, who finished first and second in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap.

Friday, Angry Moon will seek to end his drought in a third-level allowance/optional $80,000 claiming race going 6 1/2 furlongs, which serves as Aqueduct’s feature on a nine-race card that begins at 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

With Paco Lopez up, Angry Moon will try to wire his five rivals.

“He’s absolutely a need-the-lead type horse,” trainer Chris Englehart said. “I don’t believe he’s ever won a race by passing horses in the stretch. … He’s better if he can get the lead and relax a little bit; that gives him the best chance of winning. He gets real brave.”

Last Dec. 14, in a spot similar to this, Angry Moon nearly pulled off a 10-1 upset on the lead before being run down by Do Share, who came back to win the Gravesend nine days later. Angry Moon didn’t run again until Feb. 10, again setting the pace before succumbing to Skyler’s Scramjet, the second of that horse’s three straight wins.

Wake Up in Malibu, cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs from a mile, is the other primary speed. He breaks from the rail.

Saratoga Giro would benefit from a pace battle up front. He is dropping back into allowance company after a fourth-place finish in the Hollie Hughes last out.

“He disappointed me a little bit in that race,” trainer Paul Barrow said. “I think he’s better on the outside than he is on the inside. He was running up into traffic early in the race; the rider had to hit the brakes a little bit. In a race where he’s trying to prove himself against better horses, he couldn’t afford to have any mistakes.”

Stakes winners Loki’s Vengeance and Ostrolenka as well as Candid Desire complete the field.

KEY CONTENDERS

Angry Moon, by Langfuhr
Last 3 Beyers: 89-96-61

◗ Seeks first win since October 2016 when he wired an allowance/optional-claiming field at Belmont, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

◗ Has run seven times since. Throw out his two turf races and a try in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight, and three of his other four starts were solid.

Saratoga Giro, by Girolamo
Last 3 Beyers: 81-91-80

◗ Didn’t have the smoothest trip when fourth in the Hollie Hughes.

◗ Two back, he won second-level statebred allowance, beating two next-out winners.

Wake Up in Malibu
Last 3 Beyers: 93-88-76

◗ Shortens up in distance after running second going a mile to stablemate Harlan Punch, who came back to win last weekend’s Stymie Stakes.

◗ If pushed along from the rail, he likely will find pace pressure from Angry Moon.