Rodriguez strong in late pick three

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has several chances to add to his meet-leading 13 victories at Aqueduct when he sends out four runners on Friday’s nine-race program.

He looks particularly strong in the late pick three with top contenders Town Tart in a $50,000 starter allowance for 3-year-old fillies (race 7), Celestial Sighting in a first-level allowance for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies (race 8), and Our Luck in a maiden $16,000 claiming race for older males (race 9).

Seven of the nine starters in the seventh race, for those who have started for $50,000 claiming or less and have never won two races, are coming off a victory. Town Tart is one of the two who isn’t.

Town Tart was purchased privately by Carl Lizza Racing and Michael Imperio following an 8 3/4-length win at Belmont for maiden claiming $50,000 on Oct. 29 in which she defeated four next-out winners. Town Tart, in her next start, finished a well-beaten fourth in a first-level allowance Dec. 17.

Rodriguez will equip Town Tart with blinkers on Friday and said he plans to instruct five-pound apprentice jockey Harry Hernandez – whom Rodriguez is riding for the first time in this spot – to send Town Tart to the lead from her outside post.

“I’d like to see her on the lead,” Rodriguez said. “Last time, she didn’t get a clean break, and [jockey Jose Ortiz] said she was a little afraid between horses.”

In the eighth, Rodriguez sends out Celestial Sighting, who returns to dirt and stretches out in distance after running last in an open-company stakes on turf on Halloween at Belmont Park.

KEY CONTENDERS

RACE 7

Town Tart (Last 3 Beyers: 52-68-63)

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last two years, Rodriguez is 16 for 57 with a $1.65 return on investment when adding blinkers in sprints. Three of those wins have come at this meet.

Kentucky Road (Last 3 Beyers: 60-46-47)

◗ Was claimed by John Toscano out of a second-place finish to Town Tart on Oct. 29. Won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race by nearly seven lengths in the first start off the claim.

“She won pretty easy, it looked like, last out,” Toscano said. “I think she can be a stakes filly. Might want to stretch her out in distance. I think going longer, it might be easier.”

RACE 8

Celestial Sighting (Last 3 Beyers: 64-49-54)

◗ In her lone start on dirt, she was beaten 4 1/4 lengths by the favored Gregorian Gold in the Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes on Sept. 18. She broke poorly that day and rallied along the rail to be second.

“If she broke good, I thought she could have won that race,” Rodriguez said.

Backwood Bay (Last 3 Beyers: 65-23-43)

◗ Finished strong late to be second, beaten a nose by Absatootly, in the East View Stakes on Dec. 27. She had blinkers removed and was stretching out in distance that day.

◗ Trainer Linda Rice said that Backwood Bay came out of a ninth-place finish in the Lady Finger Stakes with a few issues, including pharyngitis, an inflammation of the pharynx that causes a sore throat.