backsideofthemoon | Horse Racing Free Tips

Backsideofthemoon Could Thwart Mr. Buff’s Three-Peat In Saturday’s Jazil Stakes

Fresh off his first career triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure, Repole Stable's Backsideofthemoon will look to build on an impressive stakes score last month when he makes his 9-year-old debut in Saturday's $100,000 Jazil going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Backsideofthemoon reached a milestone in his 46th career start last out, earning a 106 number for his six-length gate-to-wire score in the Queens County on December 19 at the Big A. The gelded son of Malibu Moon is 2-for-2 since Rudy Rodriguez again took over his training duties. Rodriguez had conditioned Backsideofthemoon in 2019 before he was claimed and sent to Robert Klesaris.

After being claimed again for $62,500 out of a second-place effort on September 24 at Belmont, Backsideofthemoon edged Musical Heart by a neck in a race moved off the turf on November 13 before registering a career-best effort in his next race.

“He's continued to train very good and we're looking forward to running,” Rodriguez said. “He's very consistent and he loves Aqueduct. The last race, he was training so good leading into it and he broke so sharp. I'm just looking forward to seeing him run here again.”

Backsideofthemoon has posted six of his eight career wins at Aqueduct, including his maiden-breaking victory at third asking back in 2015 as well as a triumph in the 2018 Jazil. Jose Lezcano, aboard for the Queens County, will have the return call from the outermost post 5.

Chester and Mary Broman's popular New York homebred Mr. Buff has won the last two Jazil editions and will look for a three-peat in the seventh running. Trained by John Kimmel, the 7-year-old Friend Or Foe chestnut utilized a frontrunning style to win the Jazil by 5 1/4-lengths in 2019 over Sunny Ridge and by five lengths last year over returning-rival Backsideofthemoon.

Mr. Buff posted a record of three wins and two seconds from eight starts last season, which included a 20-length romp in the Haynesfield at the Big A in February and the Empire Classic at Belmont Park by 3 1/4-lengths.

The sizable gelding concluded his 2020 campaign by racing in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap and restricted Alex M. Robb just one week apart. After fading to fifth in the Cigar Mile on December 5, Mr. Buff was in tight out of the gate in the Alex M. Robb on December 12, where he tracked the early pace, but was no match for the surging Bankit, who scored by 4 3/4-lengths.

Kimmel said Mr. Buff will appreciate the time off between starts.

“The horse is doing great,” Kimmel said. “He won't be running back in a week this time. He's pretty happy right now and doing well. He's an older horse running without Lasix for the first time in a long time, so we'll see if it has really had any effect or not.”

Kendrick Carmouche, the Aqueduct winter meet-leading rider, will be in the irons from post 4.

Michael Dubb's Musical Heart will have a chance to turn the tables on Backsideofthemoon after running second to him twice in a row, starting in an optional claimer on November 13 and followed by the Queens County. The oft-claimed son of Maclean's Music will make his 6-year-old bow after finishing first or second in his last five starts, including a 4 ¾-length victory going the Jazil distance on August 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

The Queens County effort marked Musical Heart's first start for Rob Atras, who took over the training duties after being claimed for $62,500 out of that November tilt.

Manny Franco will pick up the mount, breaking from the inside post.
Tenderfoot, owned by trainer Charlton Baker and Francis Paolangeli, enters off a three-race winning streak. Tenderfoot will also be stepping up to stakes company for the first time in eight starts. He is 2-for-2 at the Big A, including a victory on December 3 going one mile, followed by a six-length victory at the same distance on New Year's Day in his 4-year-old debut.

Eric Cancel will have the return engagement, drawing post 3.

Fame to Famous, 10th last out in the Grade 3 Red Smith on November 21 at Aqueduct for owner and trainer John McAllen, will be seeking his second overall win and first victory since 2019, drawing post 2 with Mike Luzzi aboard.
The Jazil is carded as Race 3 on Aqueduct's nine-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Rodriguez Barn Firing On All Cylindars At Big A: ‘We’ve Been Holding Our Own’

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez entered Sunday's card at Aqueduct on top of the trainer standings with a record of 47-10-2-5 and has a number of stakes contenders lining up to bolster purse earnings already at $429,253 at the Ozone Park, N.Y., track. He added one win and a second-place finish on Sunday.

The 48-year-old conditioner, who has won 14 individual NYRA meet titles in his career, captured the 2018 winter meet with 38 wins.

“We've got a good group of people working for us, the same people that have been working for us all along,” said Rodriguez. “When the horses are running the way you see them train, that's a plus. Some horses are running good and some horses are running a little better, we just have to keep working hard and hopefully things will keep working out.

“I'm not really thinking about winning titles, I'm just trying to keep my horses running good,” added Rodriguez. “If it works out that's good, but I think we've been holding our own the past couple years”

The Elkstone Group's Wudda U Think Now, a New York-bred son of Fast Anna, earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for his half-length score on Friday when travelling seven furlongs in a first-level allowance sprint for state-breds.

Bred by Mina Equivest, Wudda U Think Now was purchased for $60,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale. Out of the Unbridled Jet mare Unbridled Grace, Wudda U Think Now graduated at second asking in November when sprinting six furlongs on a muddy Big A main track and followed with a good second on December 10 to Jerry the Nipper, who came back to win a second-level allowance tilt.

Rodriguez said Wudda U Think Now has improved steadily since arriving in his care.

“He's been very consistent since we got him,” said Rodriguez. “The people at the farm did a good job and the horse came back very good. I'm just trying to keep it together and the horse is showing that he can be any kind of horse.

“I'll talk to the owner, Mr. Grant, and see what is next but we'd like to break the conditions and then see what we've got,” added Rodriguez. “I don't want to take anything away from the horse. I like him a lot. He's great body wise, behavior and training in the morning. He's a straightforward horse that will improve with racing.”

Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call was claimed for $62,500 out of a winning effort on November 27 at the Big A and captured the Gravesend on January 2 at first asking for new connections.

“He's been very consistent. We were lucky the other day with five horses in the race and a horse in front to set it up,” said Rodriguez. “Speed held up good that day and thankfully it worked out for us.”

Rodriguez said he will consider pointing the 8-year-old Munnings gelding to the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up on January 30.

“That's what we're pointing for and if he trains into that race the same way, I think we'll take the chance,” said Rodriguez.

E.V. Racing Stable's Eagle Orb, winner of the Notebook for state-breds on November 14 at the Big A, finished second last out in the Jerome on New Year's Day in a race won in frontrunning style by Capo Kane.

“I'm not sure if distance will be an issue for him, but the other horse ran a big race. We tried to make a run at the winner but we couldn't catch him,” said Rodriguez. “The owner wants to point at the Gotham so we'll give him another shot at the mile.”

The Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile offering 50-2-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers, is slated for March 6.

Graded-stakes placed Water White, a 4-year-old Conveyance filly also owned by E.V. Racing Stable, was last seen on track in June when a distant third in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont.

The talented gray, who captured the Busher Invitational in March at the Big A, returned to the work tab on January 3 and added a second three-eighths breeze Sunday morning in 38.01 on the Belmont dirt tracking track.

Repole Stable's Backsideofthemoon earned a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure for his six-length score in the nine-furlong Queens County on December 19 at the Big A.

Rodriguez said the 9-year-old Malibu Moon gelding, who sports a record of 47-8-9-7, will likely return in the $100,000 Jazil, a nine-furlong test for 4-year-olds and up on January 23 at Aqueduct.

“It looks like he came out of the race well. We'll point for the Jazil and hopefully he can have another good year,” said Rodriguez.

Backsideofthemoon won the 2018 Jazil and finished second in last year's renewal to likely returning champion Mr. Buff.

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Backsideofthemoon Earns Career Best Beyer In Return To Rudy Rodriguez Barn

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez reported that all was well with Repole Stable's Backsideofthemoon, who registered his first stakes win in nearly three years when capturing the nine-furlong $100,000 Queens County on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 8-year-old son of Malibu Moon recorded a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for the six-length victory, where he led at every point of call while setting an easy tempo up front before kicking clear under jockey Jose Lezcano. He boasts a record of 47-8-9-7 and $722,216 in earnings through a career that began in September 2015. The 105 Beyer was his first triple-digit number over six racing seasons.

Backsideofthemoon appears to have an affinity for the Aqueduct main track, as six of his nine career victories have taken place there, including a triumph in the Jazil in January 2018 for former trainer Leo O'Brien.

Rodriguez claimed Backsideofthemoon from O'Brien in August 2019 and two starts later won going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct under Rodriguez's tutelage before being claimed by trainer Robert Klesaris. Rodriguez then claimed him back in September after a second-place finish in a one-mile allowance optional claiming event at Belmont Park.

“He's a cool horse to be around. He likes his job,” Rodriguez said. “When I claimed him before he was good and Bobby [Klesaris] did a good job of keeping everything together. There aren't too many horses his age that run the way he runs.”

Rodriguez gelded Backsideofthemoon after claiming him for the first time last August.

“The only thing we did was geld him when I claimed him before,” Rodriguez said. “He always trained well and if you look at him physically, he looks like a stakes level horse. He's a nice, solid strong, big horse. The coat he has right now looks like he's in Florida. He has a very shiny coat and not many horse, in the winter have that kind of coat.”

Rodriguez said he was unsure as to where the seasoned veteran's next start would take place, but that the $100,000 Jazil on January 23 could be in play.

“I'll talk to the boss and see what he says,” Rodriguez said. “He ran a big number, so we'll keep it together and hope for the best.”

Rodriguez also reported EV Racing's Eagle Orb, the New York-bred son of Orb who won the November 14 Notebook at the Big A, could target either the $150,000 Jerome on January 1 at Aqueduct – a 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifier – or stay against state-breds in the $100,000 Rego Park on January 11 at going 6 ½ furlongs.

“We have those two races in mind for him and me and the owner are still trying to decide which spot is best. He's training well,” Rodriguez said.

Bred in New York by Barry Ostrager, Eagle Orb is out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Lady On Holiday and was purchased for 95,000 from the Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale last August.

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Backsideofthemoon Shines Bright In Aqueduct’s Queens County

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.

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