mr. buff | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mr. Buff Works Ahead Of Try For Third Empire Classic

Chester and Mary Broman's New York-homebred Mr. Buff breezed Sunday morning in preparation for the $300,000 Empire Classic – the 1 1/8-mile feature event on Empire Showcase Day, slated for October 30 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by John Kimmel, the popular 7-year-old Friend Or Foe chestnut went six furlongs in 1:14.01 under jockey Junior Alvarado over the Belmont main track.

Mr. Buff, an earner of more than $1.4 million, has won the last two editions of the Empire Classic. A victory would make him the first horse to win three straight runnings of the race as he seeks his first trip to the winner's circle since capturing the Stymie on February 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

“We've had him on a weekly work schedule and today was probably the most major thing he'll do before the Empire Classic,” Kimmel said. “The track was a little wet and we were running into a pretty big headwind but we had it all set up. Junior came out and I gave them a horse to chase. I thought he worked really well. He galloped out in 1:27 and came back fine. It's kind of the same schedule we had him on last year off the layoff.”

Mr. Buff, who last raced when fifth in the Evan Shipman on August 11 at the Spa, arrived off his previous Empire Classic coups following unplaced efforts at Grade 1 level at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Kimmel added that recent allowance winner Call Me Harry could target the $200,000 Mohawk, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for state-breds 3-years-old and up on Empire Showcase Day.

Empire Showcase Day, which offers eight stakes for New York-breds, includes a trio of $250,000 events in the Empire Distaff, Sleepy Hollow, and Maid of the Mist. Also on tap will be the $200,000 Ticonderoga, along with a pair of $150,000 stakes in the Iroquois and Hudson.

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Pacific Gale Breezes Ahead of Smart N Fancy At Saratoga

Holly Hill Stables' Pacific Gale breezed a half-mile in :48.80 Sunday on the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for a grass debut in Saturday's $120,000 Smart N Fancy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A multiple graded stakes winner on dirt, the 6-year-old Flat Out bay worked solo under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“She went 48 and change the right way and had a very good gallop out,” Kimmel said.

Pacific Gale blossomed over the winter in Florida, capturing the Grade 2 Inside Information in January and Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie in March, both at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

She has made her last three starts in graded stakes sprints, finishing third in the Grade 3 Vagrancy in May and fourth in the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses in June, both at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., ahead of a fifth-place effort last out in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on July 3 at Gulfstream.

Kimmel said the $500,000 Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina, a seven-furlong main track sprint on Travers Day August 28, is coming up tough, so he has given Pacific Gale her last two works on turf to good effect.

“I always wanted to see if she had any affinity for the turf course. Even though she's a 6-year-old, we never really got around to it. It might open up another avenue,” Kimmel said. “We gave her a couple breezes on the turf course with very positive results both visually and also Johnny thought she handled it very nicely.”

Kimmel said Chester and Mary Broman's popular New York-bred millionaire Mr. Buff will target a third win in the nine-furlong Empire Classic for state-breds on October 30 at Belmont following his off-the-board effort in the Evan Shipman on August 11 at the Spa.

With regular pilot Junior Alvarado up, Mr. Buff did not break as alertly as usual and had to chase the pace of gate-to-wire winner Sea Foam while being hemmed in by Three Jokers.

“The weather was kind of hot for him and he was a little dull. He didn't break that sharp and when he wanted to go, Junior had a quick moment to push him through there and he didn't go,” Kimmel said. “He got put in a box and he was in his mouth for a good quarter of a mile trying to slow him down. When he didn't get enough response, he put his stick away and galloped him home.

“We'll try to make sure we have him ready for the Empire Classic,” Kimmel continued. “Cooler weather should work well for him.”

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Belmont Stakes Runner-Up Dr Post Rallies For G3 Westchester Victory

The previous time St. Elias Stable's Dr Post raced at Belmont Park, he finished second to Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. Eleven months later, the now 4-year-old Quality Road colt registered another strong effort over Big Sandy, running down Mr. Buff in the final furlong and fending off a charging Wicked Trick before pulling away for a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester for 4-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile.

The 93rd running of the Westchester, the first graded stakes of the 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet, saw 11-time stakes-winner Mr. Buff, in search a long-awaited first graded stakes score, sent to the front under jockey Edgard Zayas after breaking sharp from post five. The Chester and Mary Broman New York homebred led the six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 24.53 second, the half in 48.05 and three-quarters in 1:11.62 over the fast main track.

Dr Post, making his first start off an eight-month layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher, broke alert from the outermost post and tracked closely in second position under jockey Manny Franco.

Out of the turn, Franco asked his charge for more and Dr Post willingly responded, overtaking Mr. Buff from the outside. Wicked Trick came on strong for second, but Dr Post completed the course in a final time of 1:35.14 for his first graded stakes win.

“The fractions helped,” said Franco, who coincidently defeated Dr Post aboard Tiz the Law in last year's Triple Crown race going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont. “Mr. Buff slowed down a little bit and I was right there. I didn't have to rush my horse off his feet. He just took me around the right way. I think that helped me get the victory.”

Dr Post, who followed last year's Belmont Stakes by running third in the G1 Haskell in July at Monmouth Park, last raced when fourth in the G2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga Race Course. Still the slight 7-5 favorite over Mr. Buff, Dr Post returned $4.80 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $450,635.

“Todd and the team got him ready down in Florida over the winter and he had been training really well coming into this race and ran to his training,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. “I think this was a good starting point for him and hopefully he can continue to progress from here.”

Wicked Trick, under jockey Jose Lezcano, edged Mr. Buff by a neck for second. A stewards' inquiry and a jockey objection from Top Seed rider Trevor McCarthy looking into Wicked Trick potentially interfering with fourth-place finisher Top Seed at the half-mile pole and in the stretch run resulted in no change.

Wicked Trick, trained and co-owned by Linda Rice, was making his first stakes appearance in five starts and earned stakes black type for the first time in his career.

“I got the position that I wanted the whole way around,” Lezcano said. “I never crossed hands. I was forward the whole way around.”

The 7-year-old Mr. Buff, making his 45th career start, was 8 3/4-lengths clear of Top Seed. He has finished in the money in five of his last six starts.

Limonite and Backsideofthemoon completed the order of finish.

Byron Hughes, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher of Dr Post (No. 6, $4.80*): “Todd and the team got him ready down in Florida over the winter and he had been training really well coming into this race and ran to his training. I think this was a good starting point for him and hopefully he can continue to progress from here.”

Manny Franco, winning jockey aboard Dr Post (No. 6): “The fractions helped. Mr. Buff slowed down a little bit and I was right there. I didn't have to rush my horse off his feet. He just took me around the right way. I think that helped me get the victory.”

Jose Lezcano, jockey aboard runner-up Wicked Trick (No. 1): “I got the position that I wanted the whole way around. I never crossed hands. I was forward the whole way around.”

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Take Two: Mr. Buff Looking For First Graded Victory In Westchester

Mr. Buff's path to a potential first career graded stakes win took a slight detour earlier in April when having to scratch out of the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct Racetrack. But the veteran 7-year-old will get another opportunity to check that box when he competes in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester for 4-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Chester and Mary Broman New York homebred has amassed 17 career wins in 44 starts dating to 2016, becoming a mainstay on the NYRA circuit for trainer John Kimmel. Mr. Buff, who already has secured millionaire status, has compiled 11 career stakes wins and will continue his quixotic quest for a graded stakes win in the six-horse Westchester, which will mark his sixth career start at that caliber.

A half-length winner of the Stymie going the Westchester distance over a sloppy and sealed track at the Big A on February 27 marked Mr. Buff's last start. The Friend Or Foe gelding was the 4-5 morning line favorite in the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior on April 3 at Aqueduct before being scratched after showing signs of colic.

After a brief respite, Kimmel said Mr. Buff is ready to run at a Belmont track in which he has posted a 5-2-3 record in 15 career starts.

“He's doing quite well and we're looking forward to getting him back in since we are now eight weeks since his last race,” Kimmel said. “He's good and he's ready to go.”

Mr. Buff has won the last two editions of the Empire Classic over Big Sandy and has trained well on that Belmont main track, breezing four furlongs in 49.09 seconds on April 21.

“He's training great. He hasn't missed a beat,” Kimmel said. “He's won the Empire Classic twice there, so he handles the track and he's been breezing on the main track, so he's ready.”

Edgard Zayas will pick up the mount, breaking from post 5.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post will be making his first start in nearly eight months, with his 4-year-old bow marking his first start at Belmont Park since running second to eventual New York-Bred Horse of the Year Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes last June.

The Todd Pletcher trainee has not run since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga Race Course. The Quality Road colt earned black type in two prestigious races for sophomores, following his runner-up effort in the third leg of the Triple Crown with a third-place finish behind Ny Traffic and winner Authentic in the Grade 1 Haskell in July at Monmouth Park.

Dr Post, 2-1-1 in six starts with earnings of $370,635, will pick up the services of jockey Manny Franco, breaking from the outermost post 6.

Novak Stable's Limonite will again link up with Mr. Buff after running second to him in the Stymie, finishing a half-length back in his first stakes appearance since 2019. The 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for the second consecutive race in that effort, matching the number earned for his five-length score against optional claimers going 1 1/8 miles on February 8 at the Big A.

Trained by Amira Chichakly, Limonite returned to graded stakes company last out in the Grade 3 Excelsior, finishing third in a race won by Modernist. In his 23rd career start, Limonite will be making his Belmont debut, drawing post 4 in tandem with regular rider Eric Cancel.

Wicked Trick also has graded stakes experience at Belmont, running fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 True North last June at Belmont. Trainer Linda Rice, who co-owns the 6-year-old son of Hat Trick along with Stephen Cooper, will stretch him out to one mile for the first time in six starts, with his previous route resulting in a fifth-place effort in the Stymie in March 2020 at Aqueduct.

Jose Lezcano will be in the irons from the inside post.

Phipps Stable's Top Seed will be making his stakes debut in his seventh career start, having compiled three wins in that stretch for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. He made his first start of his 5-year-old campaign in April at Keeneland, running fifth against optional claimers going 1 1/16 miles. But the son of Orb will look to recapture the form he showed in 2020, when he won his debut that February at Gulfstream Park and added optional claiming wins at Tampa Bay Downs and Churchill Downs, respectively.

Top Seed will look to win a race at a fourth track when he ships to New York for the first time, drawing post 3 with Trevor McCarthy set to ride.

Charles Hallas' Backsideofthemoon, fourth in the Grade 3 Excelsior last out, will be looking for his first win since coming into the care of trainer Robert Klesaris earlier this year. The winner of the Queens Colony last December is winless in 15 starts at Belmont but will be looking to buck history, breaking from post 2 with Joe Bravo aboard.

The Westchester is slated as Race 3 on the 11-race program, with the slate's other stakes being the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles in Race 10 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf in Race 5. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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