Kendrick Carmouche | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mr. Buff Wins His Third Consecutive Jazil Stakes In A Laugher

Chester and Mary Broman homebred Mr. Buff improved to 3-for-3 all-time in the $100,000 Jazil, defending his crown by drawing away to an impressive seven-length victory in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile contest for 4-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The veteran Mr. Buff ended his 2020 campaign with a strong stakes showing, running second in the Alex M. Robb against fellow New York breds on December 12. Returning to open company for his 7-year-old bow, the Friend Or Foe gelding broke well from post 4 under Aqueduct meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche, pressuring pacesetter Musical Heart through the opening quarter-mile in 23.96 seconds and the half in 48.95 on the fast main track.

Mr. Buff took command out of the turn and Carmouche sustained the push through the stretch, outkicking a rallying Tenderfoot to complete the course in 1:53.47 and match his margin-of-victory to his age for trainer John Kimmel.

“That was perfect. I told Kendrick that he doesn't have to be on the lead,” Kimmel said. “The race was perfect. He looked terrific. He just looks good and is just an amazing animal.”

Competing without Lasix, Mr. Buff still showed the form that saw him close 2020 with three consecutive efforts that garnered Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or better.

Mr. Buff improved to 16-8-4 in 43 career starts. He has never won the Jazil by less than five lengths, with his combined margin for the three-peat 17 ¼ lengths. He has won at least one race every year since 2016.

“I think he's the winningest horse I've ever had,” Kimmel said. “He's settled more and more. He's just a very good and sound horse. He's stayed very healthy all through the years. That's the key with these horses; to keep them sound and healthy.”

Off as the 2-1 second choice, Mr. Buff returned $6.10 on a $2 win wager. The millionaire improved his career earnings to $1,295,786.

“He broke really good,” Carmouche said. “Mr. Kimmel said to do what I think is best in the race. If they don't break, go. If they want to go, you can sit. I just sat on him all the way around there. He does it all on his own. You just have to stay out of his way and let him get into his stride.”

Tenderfoot, a 4-year-old making his stakes debut in his eighth career start, held off Musical Heart by 1 3/4 lengths for second for trainer Charlton Baker.

“He's improved a lot,” said Tenderfoot jockey Eric Cancel. “Today, he was facing a much tougher field and he came with his A game. He tried hard against Mr. Buff. He is a really, really good horse and he still gave his run. He ran a huge race and I think he'll definitely keep on improving.

“Charlie [Baker] always gave me the confidence just to try to do everything right with him and take my time,” he added. “I gave him his time and was patient with him. Once I felt he was ready to go, he went for it.”

Backsideofthemoon, who broke slowly as the 9-5 favorite, and Fame to Famous completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card, highlighted by the $100,000 Busanda for sophomore fillies going 1 1/8 miles in Race 8. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Thankful’s Victory In Ladies One Of Three Aqueduct Wins For Pletcher-Carmouche Tandem

Bass Stables' Thankful overtook Miss Marissa late in the lane to capture Sunday's $100,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Thankful entered the nine-furlong test for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up from a wide-rallying third in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Comely on November 27 at the Big A when piloted by Big A winter meet leading rider Kendrick Carmouche for the first time.

Carmouche kept Thankful closer to the pace in the rider's return engagement, settling in second position outside of last year's Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan winner Miss Marissa, who commanded the opening quarter-mile in 25.01 seconds and the half in 49.96 on the fast main track.

Miss Marissa, with Jose Lezcano up, continued to dictate terms into the final turn as Thankful pressed into contention on the outside with Smooth With a Kick following her run and Ujjayi in range as three-quarters ticked by 1:14.95.

Carmouche asked Thankful for more as Miss Marissa led the field into the homestretch arriving at even terms at the eighth-pole and powering clear to score by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:53.51.

The victory marked the third win on the card for the Pletcher-Carmouche tandem, having previously scored with Too Boss in the opener and Bourbonic in Race 3. Carmouche completed a four-win day at the Big A by guiding Foley Square to victory in the day's final race. He now leads the winter meet standings with 34 wins.

Assistant trainer Byron Hughes was full of praise for the aggressive steer by Carmouche.

“I thought Kendrick put her in a good spot right on the pacesetter's outside hip and not letting them get too far away from her,” said Hughes. “I thought it was a good ride by him to be able to outkick the leader.”

Carmouche, who won this event in 2017 with Wonder Gal, said he felt confident heading into the gate.

“She warmed up good and was very happy, so I thought that was a big plus in my favor,” said Carmouche. “I wanted to ride her out of there to get up close to the pace. When I asked her, she responded really good.”

Miss Marissa held off a late surge from Ujjayi to complete the exacta by a neck. It was a further two lengths back to Lucky Move in fourth, with Am Impazible and Smooth With a Kick rounding out the order of finish. Bridlewood Cat was scratched.

Lezcano said a deep track may have been Miss Marissa's undoing.

“She's a good-running filly and she tried hard,” said Lezcano. “The ground was a little too heavy for her today. She got to hanging around the eighth pole, but she tried hard the whole way around.”

Bred in Kentucky by Profoal Partners, Thankful banked $55,000 in victory while improving her record to 6-3-1-1. The 4-year-old American Pharoah bay returned $7.90 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Monday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card headlined by the 100th renewal of the $100,000 Interborough on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up is slated as Race 7 at 3:50 p.m. Eastern. First post is 12:50 p.m.

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Vacay Takes On Laobanonaprayer In Franklin Square For New York-Breds

Two-time stakes winner Laobanonaprayer will cut back in distance in Saturday's seventh running of the $100,000 Franklin Square, a 6 1/2-furlong test for New York-bred sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez, the bay filly is a daughter of second crop stallion Laoban, who broke his maiden against stakes company in the 2016 Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course.

Like her sire, Laobanonaprayer also notched her first career win at stakes caliber when defeating next-out winner Frost Me in the one-mile Maid of the Mist on October 24 at Belmont Park, which took place following a respective third and second against maiden special weight company at Delaware Park.

Piloted by jockey Kendrick Carmouche in her maiden score against fellow state-breds, Laobanonaprayer tracked a close fifth in behind horses, weaved her way through traffic up the rail around the far turn, took command approaching the eighth pole and drew off to a 5 ½-length victory.

Last out, Laobanonaprayer displayed another dominant effort in the seven-furlong NYSSS Fifth Avenue on December 6 at the Big A, where she rated off the pace from the four path and picked up runners around the far turn before taking command at the three-sixteenths pole and striding away an eight-length winner as the odds-on favorite under Carmouche.

Velazquez said Laobanonaprayer is better suited for longer distances, but a cutback in ground won't hinder her winning chances.

“I still think six-and-a-half is not her key distance,” Velazquez said. “It's just the way things went. We debuted her going 5 ½-furlongs and she was third. I'm not saying she can't do six-and-a-half, but she would be better going anywhere from seven-eighths, a flat mile to a mile and a sixteenth. That's more her cup of tea.”

Based at Parx Racing for the winter, Laobanonaprayer worked five-eighths over the Philadelphia oval in 1:02.24 on January 9.

“We're excited,” Velazquez said. “She's doing really well and it's a good spot for her to win. We were going to try open company, but we figured why do that when we could run against New York-breds. She's extremely versatile and I know she handles the wet track.”

Bred in New York by Christina Deronda, Laobanonaprayer is out of the Raffie's Majesty mare Raffie's Chance. She was purchased by Velazquez for $15,000 from last year's Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where she was consigned by Hidden Brook.

Carmouche, the leading rider at the winter meet, will retain the mount from post 4.

Laobanonaprayer will face a stiff test from up-and-coming filly Vacay, who is unbeaten in two career starts.

Owned by Repole Stable and Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the dark bay or brown daughter of second crop sire Not This Time won on debut over a sloppy and sealed main track at Belmont Park before winning the six-furlong Key Cents against state-breds on November 15 at the Big A.

Piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the Key Cents, Vacay was in stalking position and went five wide at the quarter pole before edging up to even terms with the frontrunners at the three sixteenths pole and strolling home a 5 ½ length winner for trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2016 Franklin Square with Clipthecouponannie.

Bred by J Stables, Vacay is the third progeny out of the Belgravia mare Florida Sun, who was a stakes winner at six furlongs.

Vacay will emerge from post 1 under jockey Jose Lezcano.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle Key Cents runner-up Rossa Veloce in attempt of her first stakes victory.

Co-owned by Handal with Blue Streak Racing, Rossa Veloce defeated winners last out in wire-to-wire fashion on December 20 at Aqueduct going six furlongs. With five career starts, the chestnut daughter of Girolamo is the most seasoned filly in the Franklin Square field with a record of 2-1-0. Rossa Veloce won her August 5 debut at Saratoga by a half-length, defeating subsequent stakes winner No Mo Spending.

Jockey Manny Franco retains the mount from post 5.

Completing the field are maiden special weight winners Secret Love [post 2, Pablo Morales], A Life That's Good [post 3, Trevor McCarthy], and Caramocha [post 6, Dylan Davis].

The Franklin Square is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race program, which has a first post of 12:20 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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‘In Best Shape Of His Life,’ 7-Year-Old New York-Bred Our Last Buck Scores Initial Stakes Win

Saturday's victory in the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy for Our Last Buck at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., rewarded the patience of trainer Michelle Nevin and owner J and N Stables, who saw the gelded son of Courageous Cat make his first stakes appearance in his 18th career start.

For besting a five-horse field of New York-breds 4-years-old and up by 3 3/4 lengths in his 7-year-old bow, Our Last Buck earned a personal-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. The rallying score saw Aqueduct meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche pick off three rivals with a strong outside move when straightened for home in the seven-furlong sprint, outkicking 4-5 favorite and runner-up Funny Guy.

“I was very fortunate and excited and I'd just like to thank Michelle and Kendrick,” said owner Thomas Newkirk, who heads the Saratoga Springs-based J and N Stables. “Kendrick gave him a neat ride. It looked like at the head of the stretch that he could go inside or outside, and he chose correctly.”

The effort marked the first stakes victory for the ownership group, which started racing in 2012 and entered Saturday with a 9-8-10 record in 65 career starts. J and N Stables still owns a stake in Our Last Buck's dam Buck Mountain.

“We still own an interest in Buck Mountain, so we might have some more offspring coming and we're excited about that possibility,” Newkirk said.

Bred in the Empire State by Gerardus S. Jameson, Our Last Buck broke his maiden at second asking in November 2018 at the Big A under previous trainer George Weaver. After being transferred to Nevin's care in 2019, he enjoyed a career resurgence, winning five of his six career races since his 6-year-old campaign last year.

Our Last Buck, who won back-to-back races starting at Aqueduct on March 15 and then over Big Sandy during Belmont Park's spring/summer meet, is now on his second career winning streak, with his stakes effort following a 1 ½-length victory against allowance company on December 12 at the Big A.

“It takes a little bit of patience,” Newkirk said. “He had a couple of operations before and we gave him some time to heal. It's great now to see a 7-year-old do this. He's probably in the best shape of his life right now.”

Newkirk praised NYRA's New York-bred program for providing opportunities for the late-blooming Our Last Buck to reach his potential.

“It's a credit to NYRA that they have a 4-year-old up and classification for those older horses,” Newkirk said. “The New York-bred program is just awesome and I think it's the right thing to do for the owners and breeders in the state. Not everyone can go down to Florida, and I think the Aqueduct cards make it a great place to be.”

Newkirk said he's also excited for the impending 3-year-old debut of homebred Dancing Buck, who broke his maiden at second asking on New Year's Eve at the Big A. The War Dancer colt, who ran second in his debut on November 29 at the same track, could make his next start later in the winter meet.

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