By the Moon Holds Off Highway Star in Ballerina

Last year, By the Moon had to settle for second in the Ballerina Stakes when she was passed in the late stages for the win. Fast forward one year and By the Moon would not be denied, as she went wire to wire today to win her first Grade 1 race since she was a two-year-old.

The win today in the Grade 1 $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes is the fifth graded stakes win for By the Moon, who at age two captured the Frizette Stakes for her only other Grade 1 win. Earlier this season By the Moon won the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont and then won the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses two starts back. Last time out she was beaten a half-length when third in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga.

For winning trainer Michelle Nevin, the plan all came together today, “It looked like there wasn't a ton of speed in here. Rajiv [Maragh] had talked about it yesterday and this morning that he wanted to be prepared right out of the gate to see what kind of scenario was going to unfold.” she said.The scenario today was exactly what they both had hoped for.

The five-year-old dark bay mare was sent to the front in the seven furlong contest by jockey Rajiv Maragh, and led the field of seven through a very slow first quarter in 24.05. Highway Star was also away well from the outside post and stalked By the Moon down the backstretch. The lukewarm favorite at 2-1, Paulassilverlining, was along the rail in third after a half mile in a pedestrian 47.81.

By the Moon turned for home with a narrow advantage over Highway Star, Carina Mia was starting to roll in the center of the track, but she still had two lengths to make up. By the Moon held steady on the lead, while jockey Angel Arroyo, who was aboard Highway Star, was busy trying to keep Highway Star in a straight line as she drifted out a couple of times. By the Moon had just enough to hold off Highway Star to prevail by a head. Carina Mia had every chance to run these two down in the stretch, but the slow pace may have compromised her run, she settled for third, beaten a little over a length, Birdatthewire was fourth.

"It was a very moderate pace for this kind of race at this distance so I was really happy with it. All the way down the backstretch I was really comfortable where I was. I took a peek to my outside and saw that Highway Star [No. 7] was outside of me, so I definitely knew we were going slow because she doesn't have that much speed, so it made me feel really happy about where I was.” Maragh said afterwards.

The Ballerina is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and Nevin intends to take her mare to Del Mar saying, "We just have to regroup and plan out our next couple of months and decide what way to do it best."

For the Jay Em Ess Stable homebred the win today improved her record to 19-7-6-2 and her earnings now stand at $1,577,940. The daughter of Indian Charlie is out of multiple stakes winner By the Light, by Malibu Moon. The final time of the race was 1:22.97.

It was a frustrating third place finish for trainer Chad Brown saying afterwards, “Carinia Mia got compromised by an extremely slow pace going seven [furlongs]. I thought she ran terrific, but it just didn't set up for her." Completing the order of finish was in Paulssilverlining in fifth, followed by Curlin’s Approval and Distinta to complete the order of finish.

By the Moon (5-1) returned $13.00, $6.00, and $4.20. Highway Star paid $6.00 and $4.30 to place and show while Carina Mia paid $3.80 to show.