Much in common for A Rod and A-Rod

Published Oct. 17, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

A Rod isn't faring any better in October than A-Rod is.

A Rod is a racehorse based at Belmont Park in New York. A-Rod, of course, is much-maligned New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who has struggled mightily in the playoffs this month.

Hours before Rodriguez's Yankees were scheduled to take on the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday, the equine A Rod gave it a go at Belmont Park. Or gave it a stop.

A Rod finished seventh of eight horses in a $20,000 claiming race, the sixth race on the Belmont card. Like the other A-Rod, fans didn't care much for him. They sent him off as a 28-1 long shot. A Rod ran to the odds, spending most of the race in last place before passing the tiring early frontrunner, Tazered. The favorite, Orsonian, earned the winner's share of a $40,000 purse.

A Rod is 2 for 18 in his racing career and winless in two starts this year. The 4-year-old was entered to run on Oct. 11 but was scratched.

His namesake knows about inactivity this month, too. Rodriguez has been benched twice in the postseason, including Game 3 of the ALCS on Tuesday, and has been yanked for a pinch-hitter three other times. He was not in the posted lineup for Game 4, either, before the game at Detroit was rained out.

When he has played, Rodriguez has gone 3 for 23 with no extra-base hits and 12 strikeouts. He even had to endure a New York Post story that said he was flirting with women in the stands during Game 1 of the ALCS after he left in favor of a pinch-hitter.

The equine A Rod, meanwhile, won't be making headlines for his love life. He's a gelding.