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Stakes Warriors Mr. Buff, Sunny Ridge Gearing Up For Kimmel At Big A

Trainer John Kimmel said Chester and Mary Broman's popular New York-homebred Mr. Buff could make his next start in the open nine-furlong Jazil on January 23.

Mr. Buff finished second to Bankit last out in the nine-furlong Alex M. Robb on December 12 at the Big A.

The 7-year-old Friend Or Foe gelding posted a record of 8-3-2-0 in 2020, including scores in the Jazil and Haynesfield at Aqueduct and the Empire Classic at Belmont. He entered the Alex M. Robb, a race he won by 7 ½-lengths in 2019, off of one week's rest from a fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap.

Kimmel said he may have been ambitious in the quick turnaround to the Alex M. Robb with the Queens Country, won by Backsideofthemoon on December 19, also an option for the sizable chestnut.

“He was tired after that last race,” said Kimmel. “I walked him for a week and jogged him for a week since. I probably would have been better off waiting for the Queens County. But he's doing fine.”

Kimmel said Dennis Drazin's 8-year-old New Jersey-homebred Sunny Ridge, a $1.4 million earning son of Holy Bull, is close to a return.

The multiple graded stakes winner last raced in January 2020 when third in the Grade 3 Toboggan at the Big A. He returned to the work tab in November and has breezed five times on the Belmont dirt training track, including a half-mile in 50.04 on December 28.

“He's probably three weeks away from running,” said Kimmel. “He's doing OK. I'd like to find an allowance race for him in the next book.”

Sunny Ridge won the 2016 Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct and a year later took the Jazil and Stymie on the Ozone Park oval. He became a multiple graded-stakes winner in 2019 with a score in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park.

Tobey L. Morton's Mandatory, a 4-year-old American Pharoah chestnut purchased for $400,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-year-olds in Training Sale, stretches out to nine furlongs in Sunday's third race for maidens 4-years-old and up at Aqueduct when returning from more than a year layoff.

“I couldn't get a sprint race to go. It would have been preferable to run him in a shorter race off a year layoff,” said Kimmel.

Out of the multiple stakes winning Lost Soldier mare Chit Chatter, Mandatory is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-winner I'm a Chatterbox. The chestnut colt, with blinkers on, breezed a sharp half-mile from the gate in 47.64 on December 27 on the dirt training track. Mandatory will be first-time blinkers in Sunday's return with Dylan Davis at the helm.

“He's performed very well in the mornings with blinkers on and has been very sharp,” said Kimmel. “He's a very well-bred horse and I've always liked him, it's just taken awhile to get him to the point where I've been happy with him.

“He's had a chronic hind end issue,” continued Kimmel. “I gave him time off and started him back but it showed up again, so I gave him all of Saratoga off and knock wood he's not had any issues since then. He's been breezing right along and breezing well.”

Mandatory made his first two starts at Belmont in 2019, finishing third in his September 28 debut at six furlongs and fifth last out on October 26 when stretched out to 1 1/16-miles.

“I don't think he has distance limitations,” said Kimmel. “His first race was pretty impressive considering he got left and then made a good late run going six furlongs. He ran flat the first time I stretched him out to a mile, so I'd say something was starting to bug him at that point as he didn't come out of that race all that great. He never did have surgery, he just had time off.”

Kimmel said he is hopeful of a good showing from Mandatory.

“We think he's a damn nice horse and he's super well bred. He's a half-brother to a really good filly,” said Kimmel.

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Bankit Ends Win Drought, Defeats Mr. Buff In Alex M. Robb

Bankit posted a slew of close efforts in the 17 months since his previous win. But Saturday, the 4-year-old son of Central Banker left no doubt, overtaking Mr. Buff at the top of the stretch and cruising to a 4 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, Bankit registered his first win in 14 starts – in a span that encompassed five runner-up finishes – outkicking two-time defending Alex M. Robb winner Mr. Buff for his first score since the New York Derby in July 2019 at Finger Lakes.

Bankit, a last-out third-place finisher in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble on November 22 at the Big A, tracked in fourth position as Sea Foam led the six-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.16 seconds and the half in 48.47 on the fast main track amid foggy conditions.

Jockey Jose Lezcano tipped Bankit out approaching the far turn, moving up to third. When straightened for home, Bankit found an extra gear from the outside, easily overtaking Sea Foam before running eye-to-eye and then passing 6-5 favorite Mr. Buff, completing the 1 1/8-mile course in a final time of 1:51.59.

“I watched a couple replays and it looked like sometimes he hangs a little bit,” Lezcano said. “Today, he broke well and I had him behind the two horses I thought we had to beat. When I asked him, he gave me everything he got.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Bankit turned the tables on Mr. Buff, reversing the order of the 1-2 finish in the Empire Classic on October 24 at Belmont going the same distance.

Off at 5-2, Bankit, bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, returned $7.70 on a $2 win bet. He improved his career bankroll to $816,675.

“He had a nice pace set up and Jose [Lezcano] put him in a good spot. He got good position and ran a good race,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to Asmussen.

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff, wheeled back exactly one week after running fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, came up short in his bid for three straight Alex M. Robb victories for trainer John Kimmel but ran three lengths clear of Yankee Division for second.

Sea Foam, Danny California and City Man, who broke through the gate before being reloaded, completed the order of finish.

“My horse broke bad because the horse inside [City Man] acted up a little and broke through the gate,” said jockey Kendrick Carmouche, aboard Mr. Buff. “He got a little fussy in there and broke a step slow, but I got him to where I wanted to have him in the race. He ran hard. He tried his best. I think if he hadn't ran seven days ago, it would be a different outcome, but congratulations to the winner.”

Live racing will resume on Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card featuring the $100,000 Bay Ridge, a nine-furlong test for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. First-race post time is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Mr. Buff Takes Short Turnaround Into Saturday’s Alex M. Robb Stakes

Multiple stakes winner Mr. Buff returns off short rest in Saturday's $100,000 Alex M. Robb, a nine-furlong test for New York-breds 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by John Kimmel, Mr. Buff ran a distant fifth in Saturday's Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap contested over a sloppy track at the Big A after scoring against his Empire State-bred counterparts in the Empire Classic on Empire Showcase Day, October 24 at Belmont Park.

Owned and bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Mr. Buff will look for his third straight Alex M. Robb score. He notched the first of his nine stakes triumphs in the 2018 edition by a nose over Twisted Tom. Last year, he was an emphatic 7 ½-length victor of the Alex M. Robb over Dynamax Prime.

Mr. Buff has amassed the highest amount of lifetime earnings in the field, banking $1,220,786 with a career record of 41-15-7-4. In addition to the last two runnings of the Alex M. Robb, Mr. Buff owns victories in the Jazil in back-to-back years and the Haynesfield, which he won last year by 20 lengths while garnering a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Kimmel said Mr. Buff exited the Cigar Mile in good order.

“His energy level was quite high. He actually seems quite full of himself,” Kimmel said. “I'm not committed to running. We'll get a couple more gallop days into him. The exercise rider [Jorge Munoz] that has been on him says he feels extremely energetic. He seems to be doing fine.”

Should he opt out of the Alex M. Robb, Kimmel said the nine-furlong $100,000 Queens County on December 19 at the Big A against open company would be another option for Mr. Buff.

Kendrick Carmouche, the recently concluded Big A fall meet's leading rider, piloted Mr. Buff to his maiden victory in September 2016 at Belmont Park. He will be reunited with the talented New York-bred from post 4.

Christophe Clement, fresh off earning his first New York training title at the Aqueduct fall meet, will send City Man back to action after a triumphant stakes encounter in the open company Gio Ponti on November 27 over the inner turf at the Big A.

Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles, the sophomore son of Mucho Macho Man made his fourth career start on grass a winning one last out. He won last year's Funny Cide in August 2019 one the Saratoga Race Course main track by 4 ¾ lengths.

“It seems to be the nature of his sire. He's putting out as good of dirt horses as he is turf horses,” said Dean Reeves of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, who also campaigned Mucho Macho Man. “This is a nice horse. I was happy for him to come back and win the way he did. He had been running well, we just weren't getting the job done, so I was happy to see him notch a stakes win. Personally, I think he'll get better in his 4-year-old season. There's a lot of upside side to him.”

In winning the Gio Ponti, City Man ended a seven-race losing streak, which included a close fourth in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland, marking his lone graded stakes start to date. He has never finished worst than fourth through a consistent 10-3-2-1 record.

“When I watch him, I still think he's a little immature,” Reeves said. “He wants to run up to the leaders all of a sudden and then wait on them. Once he grows out of that, he can go by them and finish a little stronger. He's an exciting horse. It's really nice to have a horse where you can think dirt and turf.”

City Man, bred in New York by Moonstar Farm, is out of the City Zip mare City Scamper. He was purchased for $185,000 from the OBS April Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

City Man will exit post 3 with Manny Franco aboard.

Clement also will send out Waterville Lake Stable's Sea Foam, who seeks his fourth career stakes triumph.

The homebred 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the graded-stakes winning Unbridled's Song mare Strike It Rich, won the Notebook at the Big A during his juvenile campaign and picked up wins in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and the Albany at Saratoga the following year.

Sea Foam has notched three allowance wins since then, including two against open company. He was third last out to Mr. Buff in the Empire Classic.

Joel Rosario will ride Sea Foam from post 1.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Bankit seeks his first triumph since last year's New York Derby for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The son of Central Banker, bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, has gone winless in 11 starts this season. He has been stakes-placed on six occasions this year, including two runner-up placings at Oaklawn Park, where he was a head shy of victory in the Fifth Season and Grade 3 Razorback. Bankit was a last-out third to Funny Guy in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble on November 22 at the Big A.

Jockey Jose Lezcano will be aboard from post 6.

Completing the field are four-time winner Yankee Division [post 2, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], and Noda Brothers' Miner's Mark winner Danny California [post 5, Luis Castro Rodgriguez].

The Alex M. Robb is slated as Race 8 on Aqueduct's nine-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Equibase Analysis: Performer Appears Ready For Spotlight In Cigar Mile

This Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile Handicap drew a field of nine and will likely be run on a wet racetrack given the weather forecast near Aqueduct.

Among the nine, five are millionaires, led by Firenze Fire ($2.2 million), who won the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational Stakes in September. However, Firenze Fire has only won once on a wet track in five races and finished 11th and fourth in his last two stakes on the type of surface he's likely to be running over in the Cigar Mile.
Another millionaire is Snapper Sinclair ($1.3 million), who moves back to the main track after a pair of in-the-money finishes on turf including a second place in the Tourist Mile this past summer.
Mr. Buff is a horse who likes to lead early, resulting in 15 wins in 40 starts and $1.2 million in the bank. He has a liking for off tracks with three wins but nearly all of his 15 career wins have been racked up against New York breds only and he finished fifth in his two tries in graded stakes this year.
Mind Control ($1 million) put together three straight graded stakes wins from August 2019 through March of this year including the Grade 3 Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct but hasn't threatened to win in five races since then, two of those over sloppy tracks.
Similarly, True Timber ($1 million) has now gone winless in 13 races since September of 2018 although he did finish third in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes in August over a sloppy track.
Majestic Dunhill won the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap in October and returns on five days rest following a seventh place effort in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap last Sunday.
Three-year-old King Guillermo won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March before a second place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in May and makes his return to the races in the Cigar Mile.
Bon Raison has won 11 of 44 races but has never won a stakes race.
Last but certainly not least is Performer, who has won five races in a row going back to June, 2019, including the Grade 3 Discovery Stakes in November of 2019, before a win in October following 11 months off.

Performer lost the first start of his career in November, 2018 and has not lost a race since. Moving straight through his first two allowance conditions in the summer of 2019, Performer improved to earn 105 and 106 Equibase Speed Figures before a new career-best figure in November of last year when victorious in the Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct. Rested for 11 months, Performer returned as if he had never been away to win a classified allowance race in mid-October with a 109 figure effort. Joel Rosario has been aboard for every race since the debut, all wins, and rides again. With the ground saving rail and the ability to take up a stalking spot from the start behind likely early leader Mr. Buff, and with logical improvement off his comeback effort in October, Performer should be very tough to beat in this year's Cigar Mile Handicap.

King Guillermo proved his 49-1 upset win in the Tampa Bay Derby was no fluke when clearly second in the Arkansas Derby on what would have otherwise been Kentucky Derby day in May. Although regressing a bit to a 101 figure in the Arkansas Derby from the 110 earned in the Tampa Bay Derby, King Guillermo proved he belongs in top company. Rested since May, King Guillermo put in a very strong pair of half-mile drills at his home base in south Florida, the first of the two the best of 59 on the day and the second the best of 38, suggesting he may be able to do what Performer did in his recent comeback off a long layoff, and that is run as if he had never been away at all.

Snapper Sinclair has more second place finishes (six) than wins (five) in his career but he is competitive quite often and may be the one finishing fastest of all in the Cigar Mile. Snapper Sinclair ran well when second in the Essex Mile Handicap in March on a sloppy track with a 107 figure, similarly missing by a head on a muddy track in the Fifth Season Stakes in January with the same figure. This fall, Snapper Sinclair has run even better, earning a 114 figure when second (beaten three-quarters of a length) in the Tourist Mile Stakes. That race was on turf, but having run so well on dirt earlier this year, I think Snapper Sinclair could get a big piece in this race in his current form.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Bon Raison (116), Firenze Fire (111), Mr. Buff (119), Majestic Dunhill (112), Mind Control (113) and True Timber (113).

Win Contenders, in preference order:
Performer
King Guillermo
Snapper Sinclair

Cigar Mile Handicap – Grade 1
Race 10 at Aqueduct
Saturday, Dec. 5 – Post Time 4:13 PM E.T.
One Mile
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $250,000

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