Belmont Park Notes 4.4.20

by Keith McCalmont

• Killybegs Captain under consideration for G3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park
• New York-bred multiple stakes-winning millionaire Mr. Buff breezes at Belmont Park
• Notables on the Belmont Park work tab

Curragh Stables' Killybegs Captain worked a sharp half-mile in 47.96 Saturday on the Belmont Park dirt training track and trainer John Terranova said the graded-stakes winner is under consideration for the Grade 3, $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up slated for April 18 at Oaklawn Park. 

"We breezed him to see where he's at and it went really well," said Terranova. "We're taking a look at our options with one being the Count Fleet at Oaklawn in a couple of weeks as something we're considering."

Killybegs Captain was posting his first breeze back after returning from Dubai where he was a contender for the Dubai Golden Shaheen, which was slated for March 28 on the canceled Dubai World Cup undercard. 

"That race [the Count Fleet] was one we would have been considering before the trip to Dubai," said Terranova. "We're considering now if its something we want to do. He's in great shape and had a great breeze today. It was a nice, easy work for him.

"He came back really well from the trip," added Terranova. "He went over there in great shape and came back that way. He looks great. We were really excited about the race in Dubai. We had him ready. I really think we had the horse [to win it]."

Last out, the Kentucky-bred horse made his seasonal debut by defending his title in the Pelican on February 15 at Tampa Bay Downs, an effort that matched a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He's a big, strong horse and he's matured into a real strong sprinter," said Terranova. "He came back in the Pelican and he was very impressive in that. He looks like he's better this year than he was last year."

The 6-year-old Mizzen Mast gray made the grade in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash in September at Laurel Park. The De Francis was the highlight of a solid campaign that included third-place finishes in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud at Belmont, won by Promises Fulfilled, and the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga, which was captured by Mitole. 

"We took some shots and he certainly held his own in a lot of those races," said Terranova. "We were finally able to get the De Francis win for him, which I thought he deserved to take one of those top sprints down. He didn't have to beat the likes of Mitole that day, but they're not around this year and he's come back really well. 

"We're excited," continued Terranova. "We'll try to keep him as good as he is right now and whenever we resume, wherever it might be, hopefully he'll be on his game like he is at the moment."

Stan the Man, who boasts a record of 22-6-6-2 with purse earnings of $406,374, finished sixth last out in the Stymie on March 7 at the Big A. The 6-year-old Broken Vow gelding, who ran fifth in the Jazil on January 25, won three-of-six starts last year including a score in the Queens County at Aqueduct.

Owned by Long Lake Stable, Stan the Man is currently training at Belmont.

"He's doing fine. I'm not too sure what happened in his last couple of races, but he's come out of it well," said Terranova. "We've given him a little bit of a breather with an easy couple weeks. He's probably a week or so away from a breeze, so hopefully when he's ready to run, we'll be up and racing again."

New York-bred multiple stakes-winning millionaire Mr. Buff breezes at Belmont

Chester and Mary Broman's multiple stakes-winning millionaire Mr. Buff worked a half-mile in 49.98 Saturday on the Belmont Park dirt training track. 

Trained by John Kimmel, the 6-year-old New York-bred son of Friend or Foe is in the midst of a three-race win streak with scores in the Alex M. Robb, Jazil and Haynesfield all at the Big A.

With live racing currently suspended in New York due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Mr. Buff breezed on a day when he was expected to contest the now postponed Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior, which had been scheduled for Saturday at the Big A. 

"We're just keeping him fit and not doing anything too strenuous," said Kimmel over the phone from Florida. "With older horses, it's sometimes tough to start them and stop them. I don't want him to lose any fitness. Unfortunately, at the moment, there's nowhere for him to dance." 

Mr. Buff matched a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure with his visually-appealing 20-length score in the Haynesfield. 

"It was a pretty easy win for him last time," said Kimmel. "He was sitting on a really good race and I thought he'd be pretty tough to beat in the Excelsior."

Tobey Morton's Famished earned a career-best 82 Beyer when fifth on February 29 in the Grade 3 Palm Beach, a 1 1/16-mile turf tilt at Gulfstream Park. The sophomore bay son of Uncle Mo also finished fifth in his seasonal debut in the Dania Beach at one-mile on the Gulfstream green on February 1.

Famished, bred in Ontario by Michael C. Byrne, was targeting a path to the now postponed $1 million Queen's Plate, first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown which was initially set for June 27 at Woodbine Racetrack. 

Kimmel said the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge, a nine-furlong turf test for 3-year-olds slated for May 30 at Belmont Park, was also circled on the calendar for Famished. 

"I was going to give him a little break and then come back up for a race at Aqueduct. The plan was to try the Pennine Ridge and then go to the Queen's Plate," said Kimmel. "But now with the Canadian race postponed, I'm not sure what we're going to do."

Kimmel said a later start to the Queen's Plate, a 1 ¼-mile test on the Woodbine Tapeta, wouldn't necessarily benefit Famished. 

"He was going to be ready. He didn't have a winter off and while some horses may have needed some extra time, he wasn't one of them," said Kimmel. 

Famished graduated at second asking on the Saratoga main track before finishing fourth in both the grassy Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont and the main track Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct.

 P. G. Johnson stakes winner Crystalle, owned by Tobey Morton and Chuck Hovitz, is enjoying some downtime following a four-race juvenile campaign that included a second in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo on September 29 at Belmont ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park. 

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Palace Malice is a leading contender for NYRA's Turf Triple series which, for fillies, includes the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks along with the Saratoga Oaks and Jockey Club Oaks.

Kimmel said he is taking a patient approach with Crystalle. 

"She's on the farm at Whisper Hill Training Center in Ocala. She's probable not going to be up and running until the summer now," said Kimmel. "There's no reason to crank her up. I'd rather wait and be patient and get a race in June or July and be ready for the fall." 

Kimmel, who has a stable of nine horses in training at Belmont, said he is using the current hiatus from live racing to freshen his stable.

"I've turned a few of them out because there's no place to run and it's a chance to give them a freshening," said Kimmel. "They'll get 30 days off and we'll have a bunch of nice, fresh horses for when everyone is back up and running."

Notables on the Belmont Park work tab

It was a busy Saturday morning on the Belmont Park dirt training track with 283 horses on the work tab including Harold Lerner, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables' Pat On the Back. 

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, Pat On the Back, who won the Grade 2 Kelso in September at Belmont Park, breezed a half-mile in 49.14. The now 6-year-old son of Congrats, bred in New York by Sugar Maple Farm, was off-the-board last out in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on December 7 at Aqueduct.

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control worked a half-mile in 49.22. Trained by Gregg Sacco, the dual Grade 1-winner on the NYRA circuit captured the Hopeful as a juvenile and the H. Allen Jerkens in August, both at Saratoga. Last out, the multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire rallied to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Repole Stable's Dream Bigger, a grey son of Mission Impazible bred in the Empire State by Sequel New York, Twin Creeks Racing and Pamela Zielinski, worked a half-mile in 52.30.

The talented grey boasts a record of 7-3-3-1. His trio of stakes wins includes scores in the Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes and the Notebook and Damon Runyon at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

E.V. Racing Stable's Water White covered four furlongs in 49.61. She captured the Busher Invitational last out for Rodriguez when collaring Kansas Kis in the final stride for a nose win. Bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush, the Conveyance grey graduated in November at Aqueduct before a trio of stakes efforts when fifth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle and second in the Busanda ahead of the Busher effort.

SJB Racing Stable and Marcello Micozzi's Skyler's Scramjet, trained by Michelle Nevin, breezed five furlongs in 1:04.94. The Creative Cause gray won the 2018 renewal of the Grade 3 Tom Fool.

John C. Oxley and Gainesway Stable's Explorationist zipped a half-mile in 47.75. The Pioneerof The Nile bay, trained by Mark Casse, won the Tom Ridge at Presque Isle in May.

New York-bred Amundson, trained by Horacio DePaz for Barry K. Schwartz, breezed three-eighths in 39.17 on Saturday. The 4-year-old Curlin bay, bred by Stonewall Farm, has won four-of-eight career starts including a last-out score in the Hollie Hughes on February 17 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

American Anthem, trained by Danny Gargan for Don Tiger, worked a half-mile in 50.07 on Saturday. The multiple graded-stakes winner captured the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont in 2017. Most recently, the Bodemeister bay was second in the Stymie on March 7 at the Big A.

Cofactor worked a half-mile in 50.74 for trainer Kelly Breen. The grey daughter of The Factor won the Warrior's Reward Smart Halo in November at Laurel Park and was expected to be among the favorites in the Cicada originally slated for March 21 at the Big A.

The Breen-trained Three to Thirteen shared the bullet breeze of 47.61, co-fastest of 160 works at the half-mile distance, with unraced New York-bred River Nile.