Bed o' Roses no walk through garden for By the Moon

ELMONT, N.Y. – By the Moon found herself in a tough spot to make her first start off an eight-month layoff when she ran fourth in the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct in April. The top three finishers from that race – Paulassilverlining, Cavorting, and Bar of Gold – each came back to win a stakes in their next start. Cavorting actually won two stakes.

Life doesn’t get a whole lot easier for By the Moon on Saturday, when she runs in the Grade 3, $150,000 Bed o’ Roses Handicap at Belmont Park. While she won’t have to deal with her stablemate Paulassilverlining, By the Moon will have to face defending Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue as well as Bar of Gold and three others.

In the Distaff, By the Moon was making her first start since finishing third behind Cavorting and Bar of Gold in the Grade 1 Test last August at Saratoga. She was beaten 5 3/4 lengths in the Distaff.

“It’s tough to start your year off in a stakes, especially against those kind,” said Michelle Nevin, the trainer of By the Moon. “We were having trouble getting a three-other-than to fill. She was ready and needed to run.”

By the Moon, a daughter of Indian Charlie, shows a solid work tab since the Distaff.

“She’s been doing great,” Nevin said. “She’s nice and relaxed. She doesn’t put any pressure on herself training.”

Jose Ortiz, the leading rider at the meet, is back from a three-day suspension and has the call on By the Moon.

By the Moon is in with 117 pounds, six fewer than Wavell Avenue, who drops into a Grade 3 after third- and fourth-place finishes in a pair of Grade 1 stakes this year.

Completing the field are Bar of Gold, who defeated New York-breds in the Critical Eye last out; Mayla, a winner of three consecutive races; Pangburn; and West Coast Chick.

Meanwhile, Paulassilverlining, the winner of the Distaff and the Grade 3 Vagrancy in her last two starts, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga on July 27, owner Vincent Scuderi said.

Scuderi said the primary goal is the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga on Aug. 27, and he felt Paulassilverlining needed to skip one of this circuit’s graded stakes for fillies and mares.

“I really didn’t want to skip this race, but I didn’t want to have to dance every dance,” Scuderi said. “I figured I had to skip one of them, and this is probably the best one to skip.”