12/20/19
Aqueduct regular returns in the Queens County on Saturday
By New York Hot List Staff
Stan the Man returns to action after a five-month layoff in the Saturday’s $125,000 Queens County which will be run going 1 1/8-mile on the main track at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old John Terranova trainee was named the 9-5 morning line favorite based on his Big “A” career record of 11: 4-4-1.
The son of Broken Vow has been away since he ran fifth in the six and a half-furlong True North (G2) behind Catalina Cruiser. His best performance in a stakes race came in May in the Westchester (G3) when he missed the top spot by a neck going a one-turn mile.
Terranova has been waiting for the right spot for Stan the Man’s return. The nine-furlong distance at Aqueduct fit the bill.
“He’s a very useful Aqueduct horse,” Terranova said. “We’ve been sitting on go for a while and just were looking for the right place to run him. Everything’s been great. We had him ready for the Fall Highweight but decided to skip after it was postponed. He’s better at this distance than he is sprinting.”
Stan the Man was a winner at Aqueduct off a similar layoff last year, but he will have to deal with a few other horses that also prefer to press the early pace.
“A mile and an eighth coming off the break is tough but he’s trained well. He’s consistent and we’ve been able to get quite a bit into him, so he’s strong. Hopefully, he’s not too rusty off the bench,” Terranova said.
If the front runners can’t carry their speed for the nine-furlongs than the 7-2 third choice Backsideofthemoon may be the beneficiary. He was just claimed for $100,000 out of an Aqueduct optional claiming allowance victory when he turned a stalking trip into a second consecutive win.
The Queens County is slated as race 8 in a nine-race card with post-time scheduled for 3:46 pm ET. The New York Hot List provides selections and analysis for the entire card including the Special Saturday Pick 3 at this website free of charge.
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