By the Moon enjoying home cooking

Last year, By the Moon was flown to California nearly a month ahead of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita. But with Del Mar providing only a short window of training time prior to the race this year, trainer Michelle Nevin opted to keep the two-time Grade 1 winner home with her in New York.

“She ships the 29th,” said Nevin, who trains By the Moon for her breeder, the Jay Em Ess Stable of Samantha Siegel.

After finishing second in the Ballerina last year, By the Moon went unraced for 10 weeks before finishing fifth in the seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint. Nevin obviously is hoping for a better result this time around in what most likely will be the final career start for the 5-year-old mare. By the Moon won the Grade 1 Ballerina on the Aug. 26 Travers undercard at Saratoga and once again will have the same 10-week layoff leading into the Filly and Mare Sprint.

By the Moon worked five furlongs in 1:02.80 over the Belmont training track Tuesday.

“She’s doing really well,” Nevin said.

Nevin has done a remarkable job in guiding By the Moon throughout a 19-race career in which she has been first or second 13 times and has earned $1,552,940. Perhaps the mare’s most remarkable feat was winning Grade 1 races nearly three years apart. Her first such victory came as a 2-year-old in the 2014 Frizette at Belmont.

By sheer number of returning starters, the Ballerina is the key race toward this 11th running of the Filly and Mare Sprint. Highway Star (second in the Ballerina) and Carina Mia (third) each had an interim start as the respective 1-2 finishers in the Sept. 24 Gallant Bloom at Belmont; Paulassilverlining (fifth as the favorite), like By the Moon, is training at Belmont straight into the race; and Curlin’s Approval (sixth) easily won an ungraded stakes Oct. 1 at Gulfstream Park.

Meanwhile, Unique Bella and Finley’sluckycharm both emerged in good shape from victories in the last two preps for the Filly and Mare Sprint and have resumed training. Unique Bella figures as one of the most decisive favorites among all 13 BC races, while Finley’sluckycharm, who ships Oct. 30 from Churchill Downs, could be second choice in a field that should approach the 14-horse maximum.

Most of the prospective field was out for serious breezes within the last week. Among them were Ami’s Mesa, five furlongs Friday in 1:00.20 over the dirt training track at Woodbine; Carina Mia, a half-mile Sunday in 47.80 at Belmont; Constellation, seven furlongs Sunday in 1:26.80 at Santa Anita; Finest City, six furlongs Sunday in 1:12 at Santa Anita; Highway Star, a half-mile Oct. 12 in 49.80 over the Belmont training track; Paulassilverlining, five furlongs Saturday in 1:01.60 at Belmont; and Skye Diamonds, five furlongs Friday in 1:02.40 over the Santa Anita training track.

At Keeneland, a big field of 3-year-old fillies was expected Saturday for the Grade 2 Raven Run, but none is considered a serious prospect for the Filly and Mare Sprint two weeks later.