Comebacker Orion Moon on the hunt in turf-mile feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Party Now and Tuttipaesi are interesting horses for the future, but Orion Moon is probably the right horse in Friday’s $75,000 third-level allowance feature at Aqueduct.

The one-mile turf race drew a field of only six fillies and mares, which probably explains why the racing office carded it as the second race on the nine-race program.

Orion Moon, Party Now, and Tuttipaesi are all returning off layoffs of varying durations. Party Now (knee chip) and Tuttipaesi (condylar fracture) had more serious issues to deal with than Orion Moon, who makes her first start since running fourth in the Perfect Sting Stakes on July 4.

“She had a couple of small setbacks, but the filly’s doing well,” said Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement. “We’ve been entering her and trying to find a spot for her, and either she wasn’t getting in or the races were too tough. We just tried to find the best spot.”

Orion Moon, who began her career in France, has raced six times in this country. In three allowance races, she has two wins and a head loss to Coffee Clique. Following that allowance win, Coffee Clique won the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill and the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont.

Meanwhile, Orion Moon was beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Beaugay before finishing fourth of five in the Perfect Sting.

Though Orion Moon was on the lead in the Perfect Sting, Lorieul said he believes the 5-year-old mare prefers a target.

Party Now, who was entered in a 1 1/8-mile race on Thursday, is scratching to run in this spot, trainer Shug McGaughey said Wednesday, despite skipping a condition. She could become the target.

KEY CONTENDERS

Orion Moon (Last 3 Beyers: 84-89-92)

◗ She makes her first start off a 133-day layoff but has a win and a second, beaten a head, off longer layoffs than that.

◗ She doesn’t show much in the way of workouts, but Lorieul said the mare usually gallops two miles a day and has had some strong gallops leading up to her return.

Party Now (Last 3 Beyers: 82-88-84)

◗ This 3-year-old filly makes her first start off a 173-day layoff and is skipping a condition as well.

◗ Trainer McGaughey said he is just “trying to get her started” coming off surgery to remove a knee chip. He said the next second-level allowance race is scheduled for 1 3/8 miles, and he didn’t want to run her that far or wait for the race.

◗ While Party Now has a front-running maiden win at Gulfstream, McGaughey said he would prefer if she’d have a target.

Tuttipaesi (Last 3 Beyers: 81-85-88)

◗ She has not raced since running second in the Grade 1 Ashland in 2013, more than 19 months ago.

◗ She does show a five-furlong turf work in 59.59 seconds at Saratoga in September.

“She works good on the grass,” said trainer Bill Mott, who got the filly in early September.