Belmont: Hyman Roth, Towering Moon may improve in shorter, one-turn turf race

ELMONT, N.Y. – Neither Hyman Roth nor Towering Moon had the best of trips the last time they raced, finishing fourth and eighth, respectively, in an Aug. 28 race at Saratoga.

The trainers of both horses are expecting better things for their charges when they square off in a similar spot on Friday at Belmont Park, where both horses have won their more recent outings.

Hyman Roth and Towering Moon are two of nine New York-breds entered in a second-level optional $50,000 claiming race at seven furlongs on turf that goes as the seventh on a nine-race program.

The last time Hyman Roth raced at Belmont, he won a first-level allowance race going seven furlongs on Belmont Stakes Day. After that, he won a $35,000 claimer at Saratoga before running a “clunk-up” fourth, according to his trainer, Mike Hushion, in a two-turn, one-mile race at Saratoga.

Breaking from the rail that day, Hyman Roth was steadied along the inside early in the race, finding himself 10 lengths back, which is much farther than he prefers. He finished fourth, beaten 6 1/4 lengths. Hushion expects Hyman Roth to be more involved in the race early going one turn at Belmont under Jose Ortiz.

“One-turn, seven-eighths I would think that would be a little better for him,” Hushion said. “I would think he’s a decent fit in the race.”

Hushion said the 52-day gap between races is by design.

“That’s great for him,” the trainer said. “He tends to be a little bit light and nervous. It could only help.”

Towering Moon, trained by Bruce Brown, took advantage of a swift pace to win a six-furlong allowance race for New York-breds here on June 23. In that aforementioned Aug. 28 race in which Hyman Roth was fourth, Towering Moon finished eighth after failing to break with the field.

“He didn’t seem to handle the two turns up there,” Brown said. “He broke very bad and got back and never got on track. We got him back here, we schooled him in the gate. You think because he breaks slow longer would be better but he seems like one who likes the six to seven [furlongs].”

Towering Moon would benefit from a swift pace and he could get it with the likes of Ziptronic, Sandy’z Slew, Bug Juice, and Thunder Harbor in the field.

Ziptronic pulled a 14-1 upset in this same condition on Sept. 27 and is once again offered for the $50,000 tag. Sandy’z Slew has a win and a head loss when third in two turf starts. Karakorum Legend would be running back one week after finishing third when going 1 1/16 miles for Linda Rice last out.