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Mr. Buff posts bullet breeze for $125K Stymie

by NYRA Press Office

• Mr. Buff posts bullet breeze for $125K Stymie
• American Power will nominate to Stymie and G3 Tom Fool
• Cross Country Pick 5 handles $51K; pays $2,714.25
•  Aqueduct winter meet Week 9 stakes probables

Chester and Mary Broman’s long-time New York-bred veteran Mr. Buff has shown no signs of slowing down, winning his 7-year-old debut with a seven-length romp in the Jazil on January 23 at Aqueduct Racetrack. On Saturday, the John Kimmel trainee recorded a strong showing in the morning, putting in a bullet five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

Mr. Buff, a homebred who has produced a 16-8-4 record in 43 career starts with earnings of nearly $1.3 million, will next target the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up going one mile on February 27 at Aqueduct.

“My assistant says he’s acting like a 2-year-old; he’s got a great look in his eye and his energy level is high,” said Kimmel, who is currently working with his contingent at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida. “He’s been prancing around the barn.”

Mr. Buff has found a comfort zone running in listed stakes, finishing in the money in his last 13 appearances with a gaudy 10-2-1 record dating to the Alex M. Robb in December 2018. Since that victory at the Big A, the only times Mr. Buff has not earned black type have been in graded stakes efforts, which included respective fifth-place efforts in last year’s editions of the Grade 1 Whitney, Grade 1 Cigar Mile and Grade 2 Suburban.

The Friend Or Foe gelding has been a force with Kimmel crediting finding the right riders to coax the most out of him. Kendrick Carmouche has been aboard Mr. Buff’s last two starts, including a runner-up effort in the Alex M. Robb on December 12.

“I’m sure he’ll break through sooner or later [in graded stakes] and I think it’s going to come down to having the right guy riding him and not taking him out of his comfort zone,” Kimmel said. “He has good tactical speed and in those races, there’s other horses who have that speed and they don’t give up quite as easily. I think the main thing is to let him find his own rhythm and don’t push him out of his comfort zone. That’s what’s going to be the riding rule for anyone who gets on him. Kendrick did a great job on him.”

Mr. Buff has historically fared well at Aqueduct, compiling a 9-4-0 record in 13 starts, including last out when he earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for his Jazil victory.

“Last time, he stayed in his rhythm and went comfortably and he switched leads on a dime at the top of the stretch and you knew it was over from there,” Kimmel said.

While Kimmel has plans for a consistent presence on the stakes circuit, a pair of talented sophomore fillies will look to make their mark at a higher level as Frost Me and Secret Love breezed in company on Saturday ahead of expected starts in the $100,000 Maddie May for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies on February 20 at the Big A.

Nedlaw Stable and Tobey Morton’s Secret Love has a pair of wins and a runner-up effort to her credit through three career starts, including a triumphant stakes debut last out when she outkicked Laobanonaprayer by 1 1/2 lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Square on January 16 at Aqueduct.

Whisper Hill Farm’s Frost Me is also 2-1-0 in three starts, winning her debut on a race moved off the turf on October 12 at Belmont before running second next out to Laobanonaprayer in the Maid of the Mist at one mile over Big Sandy on October 24. The daughter of Frosted bested optional claiming company by a length in her Aqueduct debut on January 8 going a one-turn mile.

The stablemates were each clocked going four furlongs in 50.85 over the Belmont dirt training track Saturday.

“I’ve worked them in company many times and I think Secret Love may just be a little quicker than the other, so that might spill out to the race where she goes and the other one might be sitting back,” Kimmel said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Kimmel said Frost Me could eventually project as a turf contender later in the year.

“I always wanted to try Frost Me on the grass; I think she might jump-up her ability level when we try her there,” Kimmel said. “She’s been putting in the effort, but I think she’ll even improve when she gets to the grass.”

The Maddie May, contested at one mile, will mark the first time Secret Love will be tested in a non-sprint.

“I think she can run on anything. She’s a nice mover and tries hard,” Kimmel said.

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American Power will nominate to Stymie and G3 Tom Fool

Trainer Rob Atras said he is taking his time with last-out Grade 3 Toboggan-winner American Power, who will be nominated to both the one-mile Stymie on February 27 and the six-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap on March 6 at the Big A.

“He came out of the race really good, but I haven’t done too much with him yet because of the weather,” said Atras. “I haven't gone back breezing yet. He tends to do better with a little more space between his races, so I will nominate him to the Stymie and Tom Fool but he’s doubtful at this point unless he posts a couple nice works.”

Owned by Sanford J. Goldfarb, Irwin Goldfarb and the Estate of Ira Davis, the 6-year-old Power Broker chestnut made the grade with a prominent performance in the seven-furlong Toboggan.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West Stables, American Power, who was claimed for $40,000 in July, has won 3-of-5 starts for Atras and boasts an overall record of 29-10-6-2 with purse earnings of $499,359.

Atras said Michael Dubb’s Musical Heart is also in a holding pattern following two good efforts in stakes company at nine furlongs after being claimed for $62,500 in November. The 6-year-old Maclean’s Music chestnut ran second in the Queens County in December and was third last out in the Jazil on January 23.

“He ran two good races and we'll nominate him to the Stymie, but I’m not committed to that race,” said Atras.

Atras said one option under consideration for Musical Heart is the $75,000 Stud Muffin, a 1 3/8-mile test on New York Claiming Championship Day on March 27.

“I think he can get the mile and three eighths and I would consider that spot,” said Atras.

Musical Heart worked an easy half-mile in 53.05 Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track.

Grumps Little Tots, a graded stakes placed son of Sky Mesa, has yet to start since being claimed for $62,500 by Dubb in October. A troubled eighth in the 2019 Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Grumps Little Tots ran third later that year in the Grade 3 Discovery again at the Big A.

“He had a couple setbacks,” said Atras. “It was nothing serious, but we had to stop on him for a little bit. We don’t have anything for sure in mind yet for him.”

Grumps Little Tots is back in a regular work pattern on the Belmont dirt training track where he posted a half-mile breeze in 51.55 on February 11.

Atras will saddle Kathleen McClay and Norm Porter’s Horn of Plenty later today in the one-turn mile Gander at Aqueduct. The Emcee sophomore more was a 1 3/4-length winner at first asking traveling 6 1/2-furlongs in October at Belmont. He followed with a fourth in the six-furlong Notebook in November at Aqueduct and was sixth last out in the seven-furlong NYSSS Great White Way on December 6 at the same track.

“We were trying to get an allowance race but it wouldn't go, so here we are again,” said Atras. “I think he'll like the stretch out.”

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Cross Country Pick 5 handles $51K; pays $2,714.25

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5, featuring action from Aqueduct Racetrack and Tampa Bay Downs, paid $2,714.25 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The sequence's total pool was $51,099.

Aqueduct kicked off the wager when pacesetter Shamrocked had enough racing luck to hold off a late inside rally from Freudian Sip to secure a fifth lifetime victory in a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares. The Michael Miceli trainee held on to win by a nose and returned $5.30 on a $2 win wager as the post-time favorite.

Action shifted to Tampa Bay Downs for the second leg, where Zenden battled a stubborn Souper Stonehenge to secure a second lifetime stakes win in the Pelican going six furlongs. Trained by Carlos David, the 5-year-old son of Fed Biz returned $16.40 for the triumph, which was his first stakes win since taking the Buffalo Man in December 2018 at Gulfstream Park.

Aqueduct took the reins for the middle leg of the sequence, where a field of eight went into line for a six-furlong allowance optional claiming tilt. Krakow Racing and America’s Pastime Stables’ Mi Tres Por Ciento secured command in mid-stretch to notch a 13th lifetime victory. Trained by Mertkan Kantarmaci, the Chilean-bred son of Ocean Terrace paid $13 to win.

Glorious Uncertainty Stable’s Tiz Herself made her eighth lifetime start a winning one in the penultimate leg which was initially scheduled for the turf at Tampa Bay Downs before being moved to one mile and 40 yards on the main track. The daughter of 2011 Whitney and Met Mile winner Tizway was won by 1 ½ lengths as the lukewarm favorite and returned $8.40 for the win.

The curtain closed on the sequence in the Aqueduct finale, where Apex Predator maintained his advantage every step of the six-furlong journey to secure a maiden win at 23rd asking for trainer Mitchell Friedman. Guided by jockey Dylan Davis, Apex Predator paid $11.40.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Aqueduct winter meet Week 9 stakes probables

Saturday, February 20

100,000 Maddie May

Probable: Brattle House (Christophe Clement), Cross Island (Michelle Nevin), Frost Me (John Kimmel), Irish Constitution (Raymond Handal), Make Mischief (Chris Englehart), Secret Love (Kimmel), Vacay (Todd Pletcher)