Repole Stable | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Always Shopping Shows Her Versatility With Via Borghese Triumph

Repole Stable's Always Shopping, a graded-stakes winner on dirt last spring, continued her success story since being moved to the turf this summer by rolling to a second straight grass stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The fifth running of the 1 3/16-mile Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up served as a supporting stakes to the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), where Sleepy Eyes Todd bested a field that included Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Mind Control and defending champion Diamond Oops.

Always Shopping ($7.40) was the third win of the day for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and first in the Via Borghese for both Ortiz and trainer Todd Pletcher. The winning time was 1:54.34 over a firm turf course.

Ortiz settled Always Shopping in third as Traipsing broke sharply and took the field through moderate fractions of 24.31 and 50.11 seconds, tracked by 99-1 long shot Lady Panda. Always Shopping tipped to the outside on the turn and took over the lead once straightened for home, powering through the stretch to win by three lengths.

“It worked out perfect,” Ortiz said. “I thought I was going to sit second but [Traipsing] broke sharp and I didn't want to use my horse to get position. So I stayed third. She was comfortable. I waited for the time to go and when I asked her she responded very well.”

Pletcher was impressed with the way Always Shopping finished up to earn her fourth career win and third in a stakes. She won the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle (G2) last April on dirt and the 1 1/16-mile Monroe Sept. 7 at Gulfstream in her second career try on turf.

“We anticipated [Traipsing] would be on the lead. I thought we might be laying second but Irad was in a comfortable spot and he said she was taking him wherever he wanted her to go throughout the race,” Pletcher said. “She really jumped in at the top of the stretch and kicked on hard. They weren't going very fast early, but they were late.”

Great Island outran Always Shopping's stablemate, Cap de Creus, to be second, but was disqualified for bearing out in the stretch and placed third behind Cap de Creus, ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

“I was delighted to get her stakes-placed. We've knocked on the door a few times, so that was big,” Pletcher said. “It looked like Johnny had to steady her pretty hard at one point but it was a good effort.”

Always Shopping, a daughter of Awesome Again out of multiple stakes winner Stopshoppingmaria, by More Than Ready, was bred by Repole. She now owns two wins from three tries over the Gulfstream turf and pushed her career bankroll over $400,000.

“She seems to like the course here,” Pletcher said. “There's a great program of stakes here so we'll look to keep her going in those.”

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Constitution Colt Stays Perfect over Aqueduct Grass

Never Surprised graduated by a dominant 3 1/2 lengths in his six-furlong debut over this turf course Nov. 8. Stretching out for this second start, the bay colt had the lead all to himself after longshot Counterfeitcurency (Currency Swap) got bumped hard at the break and lost rider Mike Luzzi. Never Surprised jumped out to the early lead and was unchallenged through fractions of :23.85 and :49.37 as the loose horse drifted in and out of the field behind him. He had a three-length advantage in upper stretch and maintained a clear lead to the wire.

“I was talking to [owner] Mike [Repole] this morning and I said we’re doing pretty much everything wrong that you can do,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “We were running back off short rest after an impressive debut; going from a maiden to a stakes, going from short to long, and going from firm to soft ground. We pretty much threw the book at him today. It obviously is the last opportunity to run on the grass here. The options were to wait for Florida. I just wanted to see how he does with three weeks in between races. He had a nice breeze and has been doing well, showing good energy, so we felt like we should do it.”

Tiz Dixie produced a filly by Connect in 2019 and a colt by Munnings this year before being bred back to Munnings. Her yearling RNA’d for $50,000 at this year’s Keeneland September sale. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

CENTRAL PARK S., $100,000, Aqueduct, 11-28, (C), 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.74, gd.
1–NEVER SURPRISED, 120, c, 2, by Constitution
                1st Dam: Tiz Dixie, by Tiznow
                2nd Dam: Comeon Dixie, by Mr. Greeley
                3rd Dam: Dixieland Blues, by Dixieland Band
($30,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Repole Stable; B-Golden Pedigree LLC
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Kendrick Carmouche. $55,000.
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $99,000. *10th stakes winner for
sophomore sire (by Tapit).
2–Hard Love, 120, r, 2, Kitten’s Joy–Hard Lovin Woman, by Rock
Hard Ten. ($80,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo ’20
OBSAPR). O-Robert LaPenta & Augustin Stable; B-Kenneth &
Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Jonathan Thomas. $20,000.
3–Take Profit, 120, c, 2, Air Force Blue–Cavanaugh Park (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). ($70,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $10,000 2yo ’20
OBSMAR). O-Orpen Horses, LLC; B-Marcus Stables LLC (KY);
T-Jeremiah O’Dwyer. $12,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 10, 1HF. Odds: 2.25, 2.45, 63.25.
Also Ran: Scarlett Sky, Catman, Royne, Breadman, Run Casper Run, Counterfeitcurency. Scratched: Original.

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