Gutsy claim Backsideofthemoon to run in the Queens County

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Backsideofthemoon may be on the back side of his career, but the 7-year-old gelding has proven a hot commodity at the claim box.

In August, in the 36th start of his career, Backsideofthemoon was claimed for $62,500 by a group that included owner Michael Imperio and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Three starts later, on Nov. 24, Backsideofthemoon was claimed for $100,000 by trainer Bob Klesaris on behalf of owner Charles Hallas.

Hallas and Klesaris will try to recoup a good portion of that $100,000 when they run Backsideofthemoon in Saturday’s $125,000 Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct. A victory would be worth more than $72,000 when you combine the percentage of the purse with bonus money earned as part of the New York Racing Association’s Starter Loyalty program.

“He liked the horse, he only claimed two horses in his life, and he’s been in the business for 30 years,” Klesaris said of Hallas.

Their previous claim was Morning Breez, whom Klesaris and Hallas took for $40,000 in August and made that money back when the 4-year-old New York-bred gelding won his next start.

It won’t be so easy to recoup this investment back, though Backsideofthemoon is in career-best form having won two straight races. Prior to Rodriguez claiming him, Backsideofthemoon had won 4 races from 35 starts, including the 2018 Jazil Stakes, and he made $453,940 for trainer Leo O’Brien and Lake Lonely Racing.

When Rodriguez claimed Backsideofthemoon in August for $62,500, he immediately gelded the son of Malibu Moon. After Backsideofthemoon ran fifth for a $100,000 price tag at Belmont, Backsideofthemoon was dropped back in for $62,500 and won a one-turn mile race at Aqueduct. Three weeks later, he won an off-the-turf race from which he was claimed.

Klesaris said Hallas wanted to claim Backsideofthemoon for $62,500 on Nov. 3. Klesaris was watching his son participate in the New York City Marathon that day and they did not have enough money on account to make the claim.

Klesaris said he was surprised when Hallas wanted to claim Backsideofthemoon for $100,000 in his next start.

“He’s got to win two of these races to even consider talking about an upside,” Klesaris said. “Would I have made this move? Probably not. But if I can win one or two races with him in the winter we own him for next to nothing.”

Klesaris praised Rodriguez for “pushing every right button” with Backsideofthemoon, whose connections made nearly $200,000 between purse-money won and the $100,000 claim.

“He gelded him, he trained him perfectly, he made no mistakes,” Klesaris said. “I got the horse in fine shape, and he managed him perfectly.”

The history of horses claimed for $100,000 on the NYRA circuit is not great. Backsideofthemoon is the 12th horse over the last decade to be claimed for $100,000 on this circuit, according to NYRA. That includes Johannesburg Smile who was twice claimed for that price. Johannesburg Smile didn’t win for either Mike Repole or David Jacobson, losing a combined 14 times for those connections. He ended his career in a $4,000 claiming race at Thistledown.

The most successful of the $100,000 claims was Royal Currier, who was claimed for $100,000 on Dec. 26, 2013, by David Jacobson and won $118,445 including a minor stakes at Delaware Park.

Cease won two of his first three starts after being claimed but lost his last 19 races as he dropped down to the $12,500 level. Teaks North, a Grade 1 winner in 2011, was claimed for $100,000 by Southern Equine Stables in 2013. He went 0 for 6.

Hey Jabber Jaw was claimed for $100,000 in 2017 and four starts later won for $40,000 and was again claimed. He continues to race, has been claimed eight more times, and on Dec. 9 finished second in a starter allowance at Parx Racing.

Tombelaine was claimed for $100,000 by owner Michael Iavarone in 2017. He earned $26,243 before Iavarone lost him for $62,500.

Sure Route, the only mare claimed for that much, went 1 for 10 but did produce UAE Oaks winner Divine Image.