Former winners Backsideofthemoon, Mr. Buff try for another Jazil

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has a fondness for Backsideofthemoon that has prompted the trainer to have two different owners claim the gelding twice for $62,500 over a 13-month period.

In five starts for Rodriguez, Backsideofthemoon has four wins including a career-best performance in last month’s $100,000 Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct. Rodriguez hopes Backsideofthemoon, owned by Mike Repole, can duplicate that performance when he makes his 9-year-old debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct.

Backsideofthemoon won the 1 1/8-mile Jazil in 2018. Saturday, he’ll face Mr. Buff, who won this race in both 2019 and 2020, beating Backsideofthemoon last year by five lengths.

Rodriguez first claimed Backsideofthemoon on Aug. 9, 2019, for a group led by Michael Imperio. A few days later, Rodriguez gelded the then 7-year-old son of Malibu Moon. After running fifth in his first start for Rodriguez, Backsideofthemoon won for $62,5000 claiming and then again for $100,000, a race from which he was taken by owner Charles Hallas and trainer Bob Klesaris.

Backsideofthemoon raced six times for those connections with two seconds before Rodriguez claimed him again last September. Backsideofthemoon won for $62,500 and then the Queens County, the latter in front-running fashion.

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Rodriguez was surprised that Backsideofthemoon was on the lead in the Queens County and figures he’ll have to come from off the pace against Mr. Buff. Jose Lezcano rides Backsideofthemoon from post 5.

“I think he’s supposed to be far behind,” Rodriguez said. “I’m going to let Jose decide what he wants to do, he’s one of the best riders on the grounds, he knows the horse now. The advantage we have is that he breaks pretty good and sometimes Mr. Buff breaks slow. I’m just going to tell Jose ‘good luck’ and hope for the best.”

Mr. Buff does his best work on the front end. He broke slowly in last month’s Alex M. Robb and finished second to Bankit. He ran in that race one week after finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

John Kimmel, the trainer of Mr. Buff, said his horse came out of the Robb tired, but has had ample time to recover.

“He didn’t run bad, but he didn’t have the punch that he usually has,” Kimmel said. “He’s coming along pretty well. He should be ready to run back his ‘A’ race.”

Kendrick Carmouche rides Mr. Buff from post 4.

The wild card in the field is Tenderfoot. A 4-year-old gelding by Graydar, Tenderfoot has reeled off three consecutive victories for trainer Charlton Baker, though all came around one turn. Baker said the two turns and 1 1/8 miles is a question.

“He acts like he’ll do it, but until you try you never know,” Baker said.

Tenderfoot worked a very solid half-mile in 46.26 seconds on Monday and Baker felt this is the time to give the horse a shot in a stakes.

Musical Heart, twice second to Backsideofthemoon including a neck loss back in November, and longshot Fame to Famous complete the field.

With only five horses, the Jazil will go as race 3 on the nine-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m. There will be no show wagering on the race.