Like a pitcher getting in a quick bullpen session before an important start, E.V. Racing Stable's Eagle Orb made a final preparation for Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Withers for sophomores, posting a three-furlong blowout in 37 seconds flat on Thursday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
Eagle Orb, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, is listed at 10-1 on the morning line for the nine-horse Withers, which offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1.
The Withers will mark the first time Eagle Orb will contest at nine furlongs after making two starts at a mile, which resulted in runner-up efforts in the Sleepy Hollow against fellow New York-breds as a juvenile in October at Belmont and a second to Withers-rival [and 3-1 favorite] Capo Kane last out in the Jerome on New Year's Day that also offered up 10-4-2-1 points.
“We're going to see if he wants to go that far,” Rodriguez said. “I don't know if he can, but we want to give him that chance and hope for the best. We've been thinking about it and hopefully it's the right move.”
Bred by Barry Ostrager, Eagle Orb is 2-3-0 in six career starts with earnings of $183,100. The son of Orb won his first start at Aqueduct, closing his 2-year-old year with a 2 3/4-length score in the Notebook over a track labeled good on November 14 before returning to earn blacktype over a muddy track in the Jerome.
Eagle Orb drew the outside post with Jorge Vargas, Jr. in the irons.
“I think he's a pretty honest horse. He tries,” said Rodriguez. “I don't like the post that much. I wish I drew inside, but we'll try to put him in the race early and hope for the best.”
Repole Stable's stakes-veteran Backsideofthemoon will also run this weekend at the Big A for Rodriguez, with the 9-year-old son of Malibu Moon entered for a nine-furlong allowance tilt in Sunday's Race 7.
Backsideofthemoon ran fourth in the Jazil in his seasonal bow on January 23 under jockey Jose Lezcano. Rodriguez said he's hoping for a better start, which was the recipe for success when he led a six-horse field gate-to-wire to win the Queens County going the same distance on December 19 at Aqueduct, earning a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He looked like he came back pretty good,” Rodriguez said. “We're running him right back because I don't think he ran his race last time. Jose Lezcano said he tried to break before the gate and when it opened, he hit it pretty hard. When that happens, he kind of stumbled a bit and he wasn't really in it that day, so we're going to give him another chance.”
Backsideofthemoon will pick up the services of meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche on Sunday, drawing post 6 as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.
Rodriguez said Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call is doing well following a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Toboggan on January 30. The 8-year-old Munnings gelding made his first graded stakes appearance in his 47th career start
“He came back pretty good, so we'll take it easy for a couple of days and then see in the next week or two what the next possible spot will be,” Rodriguez said.
Since being claimed for $62,500 out of a win at Aqueduct on November 27, Pete's Play Call won the Gravesend on January 2 and finished a half-length back to American Power in the Toboggan.
“He's been very consistent since last year with [previous trainer John] Toscano and continues to be that going along, so just to have him in the barn is good, because we don't have a lot of horses who train better than him,” Rodriguez said.
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