Moment Is Right wires Astoria; Zindaya tops Clement exacta in Intercontinental

Moment Is Right fought off Decked Out to go two-for-two (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Chelsea Durand)

Wesley Ward juveniles must always be respected — a point made once again by
Moment Is Right’s (Medaglia d’Oro) front-running victory in Thursday’s $237,500
Astoria
S. at Belmont Park.

Despite bobbling when the gate opened, the 6-5 chance quickly seized command
and established daylight through an opening quarter in :22 1/5. Decked Out
(Street Boss), the 3-5 favorite, was closing the gap by the time the leader
reached the half-mile in :45 3/5. But Moment Is Right found extra when
challenged and edged clear to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths. Under Joel Rosario, she
covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04 3/5 and returned $4.70.

Decked Out had five lengths to spare on One Minute (Run Away and Hide), who
raced evenly in third. La Nina (Tale of the Cat) never improved her position in
fourth. The debutante Tonasah (Malibu Moon) was a late scratch after getting
loose and running free all over the track.

Owned by Ten Broeck Farm, Moment Is Right is now two-for-two with $171,600.
The dark bay filly was coming off an 8 1/2-length wire job at Gulfstream Park
May 15.

Moment Is Right was bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and sold for
$190,000 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. She is out of multiple Grade 2
winner Rite Moment (Vicar).

Zindaya has yet to be beaten on the Belmont turf (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Most recently victorious in the May 1 License Fee over this Widener course,
Zindaya reunited with jockey Manny Franco here. The dark bay was perched in
second as 32-1 shot Believe in Charlie (Indian Charlie) carved out fractions of
:23 1/5 and :46 3/5, readily put the pacesetter away in the stretch, and drew
off to complete seven furlongs on the good turf in 1:22.

Marbre Rose finished willingly once in the clear, taking the runner-up spot
by a half-length from Distorted Beauty (Invasor). Dauphin Russe (Russian Blue)
was another head away in fourth in the 11-distaffer field.

Zindaya, who rewarded her backers with a $12.20 win payout, improved her line
to 9-4-2-2, $286,740. She broke her maiden at Saratoga last summer and followed
up with an entry-level allowance score on Belmont’s inner turf. In her stakes
and two-turn debut, she finished third to Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou (Sligo
Bay) and Diversy Harbor in the October 25 Autumn Miss (G3) at Santa Anita. After
a subpar fifth in her April 2 reappearance at Gulfstream, the four-year-old has
now won two straight to stay perfect at Belmont.