Aqueduct notes: Moonlight Song to go in Tom Fool Handicap

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Moonlight Song, the 7-year-old New York-bred gelding who has won three of his last four starts, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap on March 1, trainer Charlton Baker said Monday.

Moonlight Song is nominated to both the General George at Laurel and the Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct – both on Feb. 17 – but Baker said he prefers to wait the extra 12 days to run the Unbridled’s Song gelding. Moonlight Song won the Gold and Roses Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over the graded stakes winner Palace last time out, 39 days after he won an open second-level allowance.

“The timing is better; it’s six weeks,” Baker said of the Tom Fool.

On Monday, Moonlight Song worked four furlongs in 47.82 seconds, going his first quarter in 22.80 over a Belmont training track that got a little quicker after being slow all weekend.

“He got away from him a little, but he pretty much did it on his own,” Baker said of the work. “He can go as fast as you want him to go.”

Percussion tops Stymie Stakes

For the first time since 2011, the Stymie Stakes drew enough entries to be carded.

Percussion, who lost the Evening Attire by three-quarters of a length to Long River, heads the field of six entered for Saturday’s $100,000 Stymie at 1 1/8 miles.

Percussion will be ridden by Chris DeCarlo, who took off mounts Sunday and Monday due to a chest contusion he suffered when he was hit in the chest by a horse he rode Saturday.

Others entered in the Stymie include Jonesy Boy, the winner of the Queens County; Farhaan, who won the Lord of the Night Stakes on Dec. 29; and Mail, the winner of the Traskwood Stakes on Dec. 27. Don Dulce and Gourmet Dinner complete the field.