10-year-old Backsideofthemoon to continue his career at Parx
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Backsideofthemoon was forced to leave the grounds of Belmont Park on Wednesday, owing to a rule the New York Racing Association put in place last April that forbids horses age 10 or older to stable or race at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, or Saratoga. Backsideofthemoon officially became a 10-year-old on New Year’s Day.
Owner Charles Hallas and trainer Pat Reynolds believe the horse is still sound and healthy enough to race and want to keep going with him. Backsideofthemoon was entered in a race at Parx on Monday, but that card was canceled due to poor track conditions.
Reynolds said that canceled race is being brought back by the Parx racing office for next week, and Reynolds was hoping to keep the horse in New York until then. Reynolds said he got a letter from NYRA on Tuesday that said the horse has to be taken off the grounds.
Reynolds worked Backsideofthemoon a half-mile in 51.60 seconds on Wednesday and shipped him to Parx later that morning. Backsideofthemoon will reside in the barn of Michael Aro.
“His father was my pony boy at Rockingham Park,” Reynolds said of Aro. “That’s how far back I go with him. He’s solid.”
Reynolds said that Hallas “offered every possible scenario to show” Backsideofthemoon was okay to race, but NYRA was not willing to make an exception to its rule. Backsideofthemoon, a winner of 8 of 57 starts, most recently finished third in the Queens County at Aqueduct on Dec. 19.
Reynolds said he hopes Backsideofthemoon runs well enough on Monday to come back in the John B. Campbell Stakes at Laurel Park on Feb. 19.
Reynolds said that “the first sign things are no good, Charlie Hallas will put him away.” Hallas has a farm in Connecticut where he has several retired horses.