Mouffy drops from graded company into Perfect Sting

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The well-traveled Mouffy may have found a sweet spot at Aqueduct to land her first win in 10 months when she heads a field of five older fillies and mares entered in Thursday’s $150,000 Perfect Sting Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Perfect Sting, scheduled for one mile on the inner turf, is the co-feature along with the Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on dirt, on the nine-race July Fourth program that begins at 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Over the last year, Mouffy has made eight starts at six different tracks. In 2023, she won an allowance at Horseshoe Indianapolis and the Ellis Park Turf Stakes. Mouffy wintered at Santa Anita where she finished second in both the Grade 3 Megahertz and Grade 2 Buena Vista. Mouffy enters the Perfect Sting off an eighth-place finish in the Grade 3 Modesty run over a yielding Churchill Downs turf course.

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“The one thing we learned about her is she appreciates firm turf,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “The firmer we can find it the better. The Modesty, it was softer than advertised, and she didn’t really handle that.”

Thomas said Mouffy also appreciates having some pace to settle behind and run at late. She could get that with Moonage Daydream, Damaso, and Lady Beth all having early speed.

“That’s what she needs, if it’s a little bit slow she gets a little keen,” Thomas said. “When she gets some pace to settle into, she seems to have a decent turn of foot.”

Frankie Dettori, who rode Mouffy in her two previous starts, is in town to ride on Thursday. Mouffy is a half-brother to Truly Quality, who on May 27 won an allowance race by six lengths over Aqueduct’s turf course.

The New York-bred Moonage Daydream is a horse for course, having gone 3 for 4 at Aqueduct, including a front-running score in the six-furlong Stewart Manor against open company as a 2-year-old.

In her lone try going a mile in March 2023, Moonage Daydream set the pace in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park and faded to sixth.

Joel Rosario rides Moonage Daydream from post 2 for trainer Jorge Abreu.

Trainer Chad Brown has the uncoupled entry of Midnight Mile, a closer, and Lady Beth, a potential speed horse. Midnight Mile is coming off a second-place finish behind the loose-on-the-lead winner Spirit And Glory in the Plenty of Grace Stakes here on April 21. Spirit And Glory has since come back to run third in both the Beaugay and Eatontown Stakes.

“I thought she got a good trip,” Brown said of Midnight Mile’s race in the Plenty of Grace.

Lady Beth was beaten a neck after setting the pace here on May 19 in a first-level allowance.

Damaso has won two straight allowance races in front-running fashion for trainer Kathleen O’Connell. Jose Lezcano rides.

Movie Moxy, Bustin Bay, and Royal Poppy are entered to run only if the race is moved to the main track.

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