Repole Stable's Backsideofthemoon went nearly 12 months between victories. But after earning a winner's circle trip last out going 1 1/8 miles on November 13, the Rudy Rodriguez trainee capped his 2020 with a second straight score, leading gate-to-wire to win Saturday's $100,000 Queens County for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.
Backsideofthemoon broke sharp from post 4 under Jose Lezcano, surging to the front and angled near the rail with even-money favorite Musical Heart in close pursuit with the opening quarter-mile in 24.18 seconds, the half in 48.39 and three-quarters in 1:13.17 on the fast main track.
Out of the final turn, Lezcano kept Backsideofthemoon to the inside and opened up in the final furlong to draw away a six-length winner. The 8-year-old son of Malibu Moon completed the 1 1/8-mile course in 1:52.94, earning his first stakes win in 11 attempts dating to the Jazil in January 2018.
“He broke very well,” said Lezcano, who registered his third win of the day. “I sent him a little bit and after that he just jumped right in the bridle. He seemed very confident the whole way around. When I asked him, he gave me everything he had and just kept on going.”
Off at 7-2, Backsideofthemoon returned $9.20 on a $2 win wager for winning the 115th edition of the Queens County. He improved his career earnings to $722,216.
The Kentucky bred won for the sixth time in 19 starts over the Big A main track.
“All the credit goes to [owner] Mike [Repole]. We were going to scratch and run tomorrow,” Rodriguez said. “I called Mike and he said, 'You know what, Rudy? Just leave him there. I think he'll be good in there.' So, I have to give the credit to Mike. He plays the game very aggressively. We'll see what he wants to do next out.”
After winning last month at the same distance in a race moved off the turf, Rodriguez said Backsideofthemoon handled the return to stakes company with aplomb. Rodriguez is 2-for-2 with his charge after claiming out of a second-place effort on September 24 at Belmont Park.
“We never expected to see him on the lead, but Jose said he broke so sharp and was really in the bridle,” Rodriguez said. “He just left him alone. He always tries; that's why we claimed him.”
Musical Heart, trained by Rob Atras and ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, cruised to a second-place finish, 12 ¼ lengths in front of Empty Tomb. Mirinaque, Danny California and So High completed the order of finish. Forewarned was scratched.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a 10-race card. First post is 11:50 a.m.
The post Backsideofthemoon Shines Bright In Aqueduct’s Queens County appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Trainer Bob Baffert ran his winning streak to seven in the Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday, but it wasn't easy.
Spielberg, a $1-million yearling purchase by Union Rags, needed every inch of the 1 1/16 miles of the Grade 2 race at the Cypress, Calif., track to catch the front-running 30-1 long shot The Great One, but jockey Flavien Prat got him up in the final jump. The victory was the 13th in the Futurity for the Hall of Fame trainer since Real Quiet won in 1997, when the race was run at Hollywood Park. The Inglewood, Calif., track ran its last race in 2013 and is now the site of an NFL football stadium.
Spielberg ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.56. The Great One held second, with Petruchio a distant third and 4-5 favorite Red Flag fourth in the field of six 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Spielberg paid $5.80 as the second choice in the wagering.
In addition to the $120,000 earned for the win, Spielberg earns 10 qualifying points for the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The second- through fourth-place finishers get 4, 2, and 1 point, respectively. None of the six starters raced on Lasix, a new requirement set by Churchill Downs for horses to be eligible for Derby points.
Updated Kentucky Derby points leaderboard.
Spielberg is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson. Out of the Smart Strike mare Miss Squeal, Spielberg was bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and purchased at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the consignment of Lane's End, which stands Union Rags.
The Great One, a Nyquist colt who came into the Futurity winless in three starts, went straight to the lead under Abel Cedillo and carved out fractions of :23.01 for the opening quarter mile, :47.76 for the half, and 1:10.66 for six furlongs. Red Flag raced along the rail as Weston chased the front runner from in between horses, and Spielberg was kept clear on the outside.
Into the far turn, Red Flag failed to enter contention as Spielberg began to make his bid and Weston, who was making his first start around two turns, faltered.
The Great One clung to the lead into the long Los Alamitos stretch, passing the mile marker in 1:35.81 and still in front. But Spielberg was eating into the margin as The Great One began to shorten stride and was just up in a desperate finish.
The victory was the second in six starts for Spielberg, who ran second to Dr. Schivel twice at Del Mar in an Aug. 8 maiden race and the Sept. 7 G1 Del Mar Futurity. He was still a maiden when third behind Get Her Number at Santa Anita in the G1 American Pharoah Stakes on Sept. 26, then defeated maidens at Del Mar Nov. 2, edging the highly regarded Parnelli by a neck. He came out of a fourth-place finish Nov. 15 going seven furlongs at Del Mar in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes. Red Flag won by 7 1/4 lengths for trainer John Shirreffs.
“I'd never ridden him before, but (trainer) Bob (Baffert) told me he was doing great,” said Prat. “The outside was a good draw for him. He broke well and was able to relax. I thought we had it all the way down the stretch but it was close.''
“That horse (runner-up The Great One) was tough to get by,” said Baffert. “We needed every bit of that stretch and we were fortunate to get there. I didn't know if I was going to run him here and I didn't decide until after he worked well this week (six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 Dec. 13 at Santa Anita). I knew he was going to run well because he had shipped well over here and he was really on it in the paddock. I'm just happy for everybody in the ownership group.
“Now we can start thinking (Kentucky) Derby,” Baffert continued. “It starts here for us. I thought it was an easy spot last time (fourth as the 3-5 favorite in the Bob Hope) and he didn't ship well. He got nervous when he got in the stall there and was just flat. We ran him back too quick. I asked Prat if there's more there and he said there's a lot more. I think he'll get better with maturity. He's a beautiful horse.''
Of Baffert's 13 winners of the Futurity, only Real Quiet, the 1997 winner, would go on to win the G1 Kentucky Derby.
The post Spielberg Gives Baffert Seventh Consecutive Victory In Los Alamitos Futurity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
