Excelsior Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Modernist Could Target Brooklyn Following Excelsior Score

Pam and Martin Wygod's Modernist earned a 95 Beyer for his 2 1/2-length score in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior, a nine-furlong test for older horses at Aqueduct racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

With Junior Alvarado up for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Modernist tracked in second position and shook clear at the head of the lane en route to a convincing win over the late-closing Haikal.

The 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt graduated last January at the Big A ahead of a win in the Grade 2 Risen Star and a third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, both at Fair Grounds. He was given a freshening after off-the-board efforts in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 3 Peter Pan at Saratoga.

“He's doing good this morning,” said Mott's New York-based assistant Leana Willaford. “The last couple races last year, he was looking like he was ready for a break and he got one. It obviously helped him. He came back to me here much more mature physically and mentally. I thought he looked great going into the race.”

Willaford said the prominent trip was a good one for the long-running colt, especially after the scratch of 4-5 morning line favorite Mr. Buff.

“He's run well that way. He was on the lead when he broke his maiden and vying for it when he won the Risen Star,” said Willaford. “With Mr. Buff out, you figured you better be up there and they didn't go very fast early. Distance will not be a limitation for this horse. He can go all day.”

A possible target for Modernist would be the 12-furlong Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn on June 5 at Belmont.

WinStar Stablemates Racing's Paris Lights garnered an 85 Beyer for her half-length score over pacesetter Portal Creek in the Grade 3 Distaff on Friday at the Big A.

“She ran great,” said Willaford. “She was sitting a little closer than I imagined she would, but it was good that she did because that filly got away with some slow fractions, too.”

Paris Lights is likely to target the Grade 1, $500,000 La Troienne on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Candy Man Rocket faded to ninth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial after an early stalking trip under Alvarado.

“The track was a little deep for him. He sat close easily and Junior said he asked him a little at the three-eighths pole and he gave him a run to the quarter pole,” said Willaford. “He came out of it fine this morning. I think we just need to shorten him up. He looks like more of a one-turn type of horse.”

There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms Corp., and David Staudacher's Horologist is set to make her seasonal debut in Saturday's $100,000 Top Flight Invitational at nine furlongs on the main track.

The 5-year-old New Jersey-bred daughter of Gemologist won the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont last year. She completed a lucrative campaign with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland.

“She's doing good,” said Willaford. “She was here last year before the Beldame for quite a while and she looks as good or better as she did in the late summer and fall.”

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After Scratch Of Mr. Buff, Modernist Proves Best In Excelsior Stakes

Pam and Martin Wygod's Modernist pressed the pace and pounced to a 2 1/2-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior, a nine-furlong test for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and piloted by Junior Alvarado, the 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt prevailed as the youngest horse in a field of six veteran routers.

The complexion of the race changed when Chester and Mary Broman's New York homebred Mr. Buff, installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite, was scratched on Saturday morning after receiving treatment for colic symptoms.

“He had a little colic,” trainer John Kimmel said. “He's fine now and acting like nothing ever happened. It's nothing serious but it was unfortunate timing.”

Kimmel said the 7-year-old Mr. Buff, a 17-time winner with more than $1.3 million in purse earnings, will target the Grade 3 Westchester on May 1 at Belmont Park.

Backsideofthemoon, a 9-year-old gelding piloted by Trevor McCarthy, took command into the first turn in the Excelsior as Modernist, Limonite and Tintoretto jostled for position behind the veteran pacesetter through an opening quarter-mile in 25.54 seconds.

Modernist pressed the pace from second down the backstretch as multiple graded stakes-placed Backsideofthemoon, a veteran of 50 career starts, clung stubbornly to a diminishing lead.

The modest pace battle continued into the final turn as the tightly-packed group began to come alive with Grumps Little Tots launching an outside bid and Haikal, the 2019 Grade 3 Gotham winner, following his run.

Modernist was asked for his best late in the turn and took the lead as a rail-riding Limonite waited for racing room with Haikal looming large on the outside. Inside the final eighth, Modernist surged clear and powered through the wire in a final time of 1:54.38 on the fast main track. Haikal completed the exacta by 3 3/4-lengths over Limonite. Rounding out the order of finish were Backsideofthemoon, Grumps Little Tots and Tintoretto.

The victory marked the second graded stakes win in as many days at Aqueduct for Alvarado and Mott, who combined to win Friday Grade 3 Distaff with Paris Lights.

Alvarado said the scratch of Mr. Buff meant he would utilize a more prominent approach with Modernist.

“I knew whatever would happen at the gate, I had to be a little more aggressive and forwardly placed,” said Alvarado. “ Even though we had a slow break, I had to use him a little to put myself in that position, and I think that helped.”

Alvarado said he was confident throughout aboard Modernist, who entered the Excelsior from a second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Challenger on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He helped me get my position in the first turn and after that I was just a passenger,” said Alvarado. “I was just waiting to turn for home to ask him and he kicked on very nicely.

“At the quarter-pole, when I asked him to run, he picked it up so quickly that he didn't even have a chance to switch leads,” added Alvarado. “Then, I felt him running faster and I didn't want to badger him to switch leads until we passed the eighth pole. I pulled a little on my inside reins and then he switched leads and kept on. Nothing to be worried about.”

Modernist, a third-out maiden winner last January at the Big A, enjoyed a profitable sophomore season winning the Grade 2 Risen Star and finishing third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

It was the second Excelsior victory for Mott, who captured the 1991 renewal with Chief Honcho. Mott's New York-based assistant Leana Willaford said she was pleased with the confident ride.

“We told Junior, 'Don't take anything away coming easy,'” said Willaford. “I was really happy with him. He's matured both physically and mentally. I think he's going to have a good year.”

Bred in Kentucky by the Wygod Family, Modernist banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 9-3-1-2. He returned $5.30 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Veteran New York-Bred Mr. Buff Seeking Graded Status In Excelsior

Coming off a pair of stakes wins on the local strip, the venerable New York-bred Mr. Buff will look to finally break through in a graded stakes race on Saturday on Aqueduct Racetrack's main track when he lines up against six rivals in the nine-furlong Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior for 4-year-olds and up.

Off as Race 8 on the 11-race card, the Excelsior is part of an action-packed day at the Big A that features the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, the final local prep for the Kentucky Derby offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top-four finishers, as well as the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap, the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore and the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle, offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks.

Mr. Buff, who has already secured millionaire status, still stands out as a leading attraction. The Chester and Mary Broman homebred has 17 wins to his credit, 11 of them in stakes races, but has been unable to seal the deal in a graded race in five attempts.

Despite his graded woes, the 7-year-old son of Friend Or Foe has compiled an imposing resume. His ledger at Aqueduct features 10 wins and earnings in excess of $600,000.

After a distant fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap to begin the Big A winter meet on December 5, Mr. Buff rebounded with an encouraging runner-up performance in the Alex M. Robb for New York-breds just seven days later and has since rattled off wins in the Stymie and Jazil, the latter of which he accomplished by seven lengths at the Excelsior distance.

With his affinity for Aqueduct well established, his trainer John Kimmel hopes at long last the Excelsior will mark his first graded triumph.

“He's doing terrific,” Kimmel said of the chestnut gelding. “He's been acting great, breezing great, and he certainly has a good record at Aqueduct. He's been so consistent on this track that I have to think he's going to give another good performance. He's beaten a lot of graded winners, so we'll see what happens.”

Kendrick Carmouche, who was aboard for his runaway score in the Jazil when he came from just off the pace, will have the call from the outermost post.

“If he's ridden the right way I think he's going to win,” said Kimmel. “Kendrick understands the kind of horse he is; he knows he doesn't need to be committed to the lead. He can find his rhythm with that big stride of his and high cruising speed and hopefully he can make a comfortable lead, but if not Kendrick knows to be patient.”

An eclectic group of challengers will enter the starting gate to face Mr. Buff, with small barns being well represented in the Excelsior.

Limonite has been a revelation since being claimed by trainer Amira Chichakly three starts ago for $40,000. While Limonite began his career as a highly promising 2-year-old and a potential Kentucky Derby prospect in 2019, his development had plateaued by 2020 as he bounced around the claiming ranks in the latter half of the year.

His fortunes changed suddenly when haltered by Chichakly and owners Brian and Kerry Novak on January 30 at the Big A, and in his first start for his new connections, which came little more than a week later, Limonite exploded to a five-length win over optional claiming company.

Last out he proved that performance was no fluke with a game runner-up finish in the Stymie behind Mr. Buff, missing by just a half-length to that one in the end.

Fresh off his first NYRA jockey title at the Aqueduct winter meet, Eric Cancel will be aboard Limonite from post 4.

Backsideofthemoon, another popular older claimer, will rejoin the stakes ranks in the Excelsior after being taken back by trainer Robert Klesaris in his last start for $62,500. Like Mr. Buff, Backsideofthemoon has a history of running his best races at Aqueduct, and the 9-year-old even ran a career best race here on December 19 in the Queens County, which he won by six lengths with a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

He will break from post 3 with jockey Trevor McCarthy in the irons.

Representing the bigger stables will be trainer Todd Pletcher, who looks to saddle a horse-for-course with Haikal. Formerly under the care of now-retired trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, the Shadwell homebred made a name for himself over this track in early 2019, when he won the Grade 3 Gotham and looked like a legitimate Derby prospect before being forced to hit the sidelines following a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial that same year.

Haikal nearly returned a winner at the Big A to begin his 2020 campaign, but three subsequent tries, all at Gulfstream Park, have produced underwhelming results.

“He didn't seem to like Gulfstream at all,” said Pletcher, who took over Haikal's training duties when McLaughlin retired early last year. “His form is good at Aqueduct. Hopefully by getting him back to Aqueduct, we'll get him back on course.”

Haikal will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from the inside post.

Rounding out the field are Modernist [post 5, Junior Alvarado], a former graded winner for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who finished second in his 2021 bow in the Grade 3 Challenger; the Tom Albertrani-trained Tintoretto [post 6, Jose Ortiz] looking to improve off a fourth in the Stymie; and Grumps Little Tots [post 2, Manny Franco], who steps up in class for conditioner Rob Atras following a nose win in a $50,000 claimer traveling nine furlongs on February 26 at Aqueduct.

First post on Saturday's 11-race program is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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