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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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Runhappy Colt Nicky The Vest ‘Ran A Good Number’ Winning Debut For Jonathan Thomas

Robert LaPenta's Nicky the Vest impressed trainer Jonathan Thomas in his career debut win in the finale on Friday's program, where he led gate-to-wire in securing a 3 ¼-length triumph under Kendrick Carmouche in a time of 1:40.67.

Bred in New York by Highclere, the juvenile son of freshman sire Runhappy garnered an 82 Beyer first out against his Empire State-bred counterparts at odds of 5-1 going a one-turn mile.

Thomas has not thought past Nicky the Vest's debut victory but will sort out his options and expressed excitement in what the future holds.

“The scenario played out well and the horse did everything you could ask a firster to do,” Thomas said. “We're still going to see how he comes out of his race. I'm sure we'll keep options open and see how things shake out. He ran a good number, a good number no matter the company. We're really happy with what we saw the other day. He had been training nicely in the morning, so it was good to see that replicated in the afternoon.”

Nicky the Vest is out of the Cat Thief mare Tazarine, whose six offspring of racing age are all winners. He was purchased for $110,000 from the 2019 OBS October Yearling Sale from consigner Stuart Morris.

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Another Milestone For Asmussen As Joy’s Rocket Gives Hall Of Famer 100th Stakes Victory At Fair Grounds

A journey that began in November 1995 when Valid Expectations won the Old Hickory reached its zenith on Saturday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., as trainer Steve Asmussen set a remarkable milestone, winning his 100th career stakes at the local oval when Team Hanley and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Joy's Rocket beat Mariah's Princess by 1 ½ lengths in the $75,000 Letellier Memorial for 2-year-old fillies.

Joy's Rocket had shown plenty of speed in her first five starts but settled into an outside stalking position under Ricardo Santana Jr. as longshot Double Whopper set the early pace. Joy's Rocket took the lead entering the far turn and was quickly engaged by 2.90 second-choice Mariah's Princess, who appeared to get on even terms in early stretch but succumbed late, with the winner getting 6 furlongs in 1:10.17 as the .80-1 favorite. Charlie's Penny rallied for third.

For Asmussen, the win was just another milestone in a career full of them, as the Gettysburg, S.D., native has won three Triple Crown races, six Breeders' Cup races and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 2008-09. He owns over 9,000 wins, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 2016. The Letellier wasn't his only milestone win at Fair Grounds. Earlier this year he captured the 1,000th stakes of his career when Finite won the Silverbulletday in January, though it was Valid Expectations who came to mind in the winner's circle.

“Our first stakes win was here with Valid Expectations,” Asmussen fondly recalled. “He he was a very special horse to the barn and his win here in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Eve in 1995 put us over a million in earnings for the first time ever. Fair Grounds has been extremely important in the development of the barn.”

Joy's Rocket, a daughter of Anthony's Cross, has proven precocious and versatile from the start, winning on debut at Churchill Downs in June then traveling north to Woodbine to win the My Dear over the Tapeta in August. She next headed to Saratoga, where she was second in the Bolton Landing on turf later in August before running fourth while stretching out to a mile in Belmont Park's Frizette (G1) in October. Asmussen cut Joy's Rocket back in Keeneland's November 6 Songbird and she responded with a game, gate-to-wire. Now 4-for-6 lifetime, she showed a new dimension stalking the early pace in the Letellier, which could bode well going longer in the future.

“To let that filly (Double Whopper) to go about her business, I think it speaks well's for Joy's Rocket going further,” Asmussen said. “She's a very professional filly and Ricardo knows her and has a lot of confidence in her.”

Mariah's Princess was game in defeat and looked like a potential upset candidate off the far turn, as she gave the favorite a big scare. The daughter of Ghostzapper entered off a track and distance MSW win November 28 for trainer Phil Bauer, and while she couldn't see it out late, jockey Miguel Mena was impressed.

“We learned she is a very nice horse and she got beat by a very nice filly,” Mena said. “It was good to get her some black-type and we'll have to see what the future holds for this nice horse. She spotted some experience to the favorite but she can build off this.”

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Maxfield Still Unbeaten After Winning Return In Tenacious At Fair Grounds

A bit of an enigma despite an undefeated record coming in, the Godolphin homebred Maxfield once again answered the immediate question in front of him, taking the Tenacious Stakes in what was just his second start as a 3-year-old to cap the 13-race Santa Super Saturday program at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La.

Twice derailed by ankle injuries, the Brendan Walsh trainee returned from his second extended layoff to win for the fourth consecutive time to begin his career.

“I'm relieved,” Walsh said. “It's nice to get him back (to the races) and have him run so well. He was working so well going into it, you're just looking for confirmation. He gave us what we needed to see. Hopefully he comes out of it ok and we move forward from here.”

Away alertly for jockey Florent Geroux, who won four races on the day, the sophomore son of Street Sense put himself in a perfect pressing position just off the flank of the pacesetting Cool Bobby through moderate fractions of 24.63 and 48.39. The .50-1 favorite then engaged the leader on the far turn, took over at the top of the stretch, and won by a comfortable 2 ½ lengths in a final time of 1:42.35 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track. Sonneman finished well late to be second and it was another 1 ¼ lengths back to Dinar in third.

“This is a horse who is maturing,” Geroux said. “When I worked him out of the gate a few weeks ago, he was very sharp away from there, so I was pretty confident he'd be up closer than he had been in his previous races. He got me in a great position and he was in a nice rhythm. He was comfortable and happy and I loved my spot. Turning for home he gave me another gear and I kept him busy all the way to the wire because I wanted to make sure he got something out of it.”

Off slowly in the career debut over a one turn mile at Churchill and the subsequent start in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, before rattling home late to win both, Maxfield was forced to miss the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with an ankle chip. When the Kentucky Derby was pushed back to the first Saturday in September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the connections were in a better position to bring their prized colt back slowly.

A return run in the Matt Winn (G3) on May 23 at Churchill proved to be adventurous, but successful. Five-wide and shuffled back while in tight on the first turn and hung seven-wide on the bend for home, Maxfield leveled off in the stretch before running down Ny Traffic late, and with a little in reserve.

“He was immature as a 2-year-old,” Walsh said. “I think he would have been more prominent in the Matt Winn in May if he hadn't been stopped a couple of times.”

Following a June 10 workout at Keeneland which came in preparation for the Blue Grass (G2) Stakes, Maxfield was discovered to have a non-displaced condylar fracture in his right front cannon bone. Following a successful surgery, he resumed serious training in late October, and Walsh thought the Tenacious would be the perfect race to get Maxfield back in the game.

“He was a little fresh tonight, so maybe he was a little more aggressive than normal,” Walsh said. “I don't think he's a deep closer by any means. He's a stronger horse this year and I think we can ride him more prominently.”

When asked about a potential next start for Maxfield, Walsh was non-committal.

“All options are open,” Walsh said. “We will see how he comes out of the race, talk it over with the team at Godolphin and figure out the best plan going forward.”

Maxfield's career bankroll now stands at $489,262.

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