Susie Raisher Photo

Mr. Buff on the muscle for Empire Classic; Frost Me makes quick return for Maid of the Mist

by NYRA Press Office

• Brooklyn Strong and Laobanonaprayer in form for Empire Showcase Day
• Spin a Yarn settled in at Belmont Park for $125K Iroquois

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff will look to defend his title in the nine-furlong $175,000 Empire Classic, the feature event on Saturday's 11-race Empire Showcase Day card offering eight stakes races worth $1.2 million.

Trained by John Kimmel, the 6-year-old Friend Or Foe chestnut sports a record of 39-14-7-4 with purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million. He enters the Empire Classic from a pair of off-the-board efforts in graded races, including a last-out fifth in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 1 at Saratoga.

The 17.2 hands tall Mr. Buff has breezed consistently on Big Sandy under regular rider Junior Alvarado in preparation for his title defense.

"He's giving me every indication that he's doing well," said Kimmel. "He's training well and breezing well. Junior gets on him for all his breezes and says he feels terrific. I can't say anything negative about the way he's coming into the race.

"He's had a nice little break," added Kimmel. "There weren't any New York-bred races for him at the Saratoga meet and this was the first restricted race he was eligible for that he fit."

The eight-time stakes winner spent his winter at Aqueduct, capturing the Alex M. Robb against state-breds in December and the open Jazil in January ahead of a 20-length score over state-breds in the Haynesfield at one mile on the Big A main that matched a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Kimmel said he is hopeful Mr. Buff will return to winning ways on Saturday.

"He's trying to repeat," said Kimmel. "He's had a good little break coming into it and plenty of preparation breezes. Hopefully it will be enough and he can come out and do his thing."

Whisper Hill Farm's Frost Me, a Frosted gray bred in the Empire State by Gallagher's Stud, will be among the favorites in Saturday's $150,000 Maid of the Mist at one-mile on Big Sandy for juvenile fillies.

Frost Me earned a 54 Beyer for a debut score at 1 1/16-miles in an off-the-turf maiden allowance tilt on October 12 over a sloppy Belmont main. With Jose Ortiz up, Frost Me was an in-hand 2 ¾-length winner over the more experienced Maid of the Mist-rival Cara's Dreamer.

"It's a little out of my normal routine to run a horse back on a short turnaround like that, but considering the competition it's probably a pretty winnable spot for her," said Kimmel. "Jose Ortiz said to me that in her first race she was very green and looking around a lot and that there was a lot more in the tank.

"She's come out of the race in good order and she's eating well and happy going back and forth to the track," added Kimmel. "She's not giving me any signals that the last race knocked her for a loop. We'll take a shot."

Despite being entered on turf for her debut, Kimmel said he is confident Frost Me can handle any surface.

"I think she can run on anything. I was just looking for a long race and that's why I entered her on the grass," said Kimmel. "She has a lot of stamina. She just does not get tired. She may not be the quickest thing, but she has a lot of stamina."

Kimmel will also be represented on Empire Showcase Day by John McClutchy's Arrowheart in the day's opening race, a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden for state-bred juveniles.

After running third on the Saratoga turf at second asking on September 4, Arrowheart was again third last out under Benjamin Hernandez in a one-mile turf maiden on September 26 at Belmont captured by Breadman, who is entered in Saturday's Sleepy Hollow for trainer John Terranova.

"Breadman is a nice horse. He was by far the best that day and my horse got in a little tight in certain spots in that race," said Kimmel. "Maybe he can work out a little better trip, he has the experience now of two starts on the grass. He's in the one-hole, so he'll have to figure out an inside out trip."

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Brooklyn Strong and Laobanonaprayer in form for Empire Showcase Day

Trainer Daniel Velazquez, based at Delaware Park and Parx, will have a pair of live entrants on Saturday's Empire Showcase Day card with maiden Laobanonaprayer in the $150,000 Maid of the Mist and Brooklyn Strong in the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow.

"It's always nice to pick up New York-breds," said Velazquez. "The money there is really good and when you have a New York-bred you can go up there and get all the bonuses. The New York-bred program is intriguing right now."

By Laoban and out of the Raffie's Majesty mare Raffie's Chance, Laobanonaprayer has made two starts at Delaware Park, including a third on debut in a 5 ½-furlong open maiden special weight on September 14 and a good second last out when stretched out to a mile on October 5 against open company in a maiden allowance.

"She's doing really well. She got beat last time, but I felt like she needed the race," said Velazquez. "With that mile under her belt and running back against New York-bred fillies, I think that now she's ready. She has the numbers to press in there and she's very live."

Laobanonaprayer will add blinkers and a new rider in Kendrick Carmouche when she exits post 6 in Saturday's stakes debut.

"I think she'll break second or third. We have an outside post and I think she can lay third and make one big run," said Velazquez. "I think the blinkers will give her a little more focus. She had a little trouble focusing last time when we routed her at Delaware. She was looking all over the place and she didn't switch leads, which isn't like her because she does everything right in the morning. She's a big, good looking Laoban."

Laobanonaprayer, who was named by exercise rider and barn foreman Maria Remedio, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 flat on October 17 over the Delaware main.

"It was a good solid work and she did it easy under wraps," said Velazquez. "When we get close to races, I don't want to break the clock, I just like them to gallop out."

Brooklyn Strong, owned by Mark Schwartz, graduated by three lengths in his September 12 debut in a one-mile maiden claiming event at Delaware.

"We skipped a maiden special weight, not because we thought he didn't have the talent but the timing wasn't right and we thought we'd take a shot and hope that nobody would claim him," said Velazquez. "It worked out. It's impressive when a 2-year-old goes a mile first time out."

The Wicked Strong gelding, bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, followed with a third in the Bertram F. Bongard after a troubled trip that saw Brooklyn Strong keen early before being taken back by Eric Cancel in a compact six-horse field.

"I feel he ran off that day and I wish he had left him in the position he ended up in," said Velazquez. "Instead, he took him back all the way to last and our horse had to rally two or three times and make two big runs instead of one big run. The horse can run all day and I feel we're extremely live on Saturday."

Jose Ortiz, who won the Sleepy Hollow last year aboard Captain Bombastic, picks up the mount from post 6.

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Spin a Yarn settled in at Belmont Park for $125K Iroquois

Spin a Yarn will look to give owner-breeders Chester and Mary Broman their third consecutive score in Saturday's $125,000 Iroquois following wins by Highway Star in 2018 and Pauseforthecause in 2019.

The dark bay Forty Tales sophomore is undefeated in five starts at her Finger Lakes home base for trainer Christopher Progno, with the lone blemish on her ledger coming with a strong second to Iroquois-rival Officer Hutchy in the NYSSS Park Avenue on September 3 at Saratoga.

Progno said Spin a Yarn unraveled while shipping into Saratoga for her stakes debut.

"I shipped her down the day before from Finger Lakes, it's only a three-hour ship, and she was washed out and wringing wet when I stopped a few times," said Progno. "She didn't handle the ship well, not even a little bit.

"I was close to scratching her, she shipped so bad, but the next day she was better but still very impatient," he added.

Despite the difficult ship, Spin a Yarn performed well in the Park Avenue under Jose Lezcano after being inside early in second position and not in her familiar spot on the point as Big Q commanded the lead through splits of 21.90 and 44.49.

"I don't think being inside was too bad and she doesn't need the lead," said Progno. "I thought Lezcano did a good job to let the horse go and tip her to the outside. Maybe he could have been a little more patient going after that horse down the backstretch, she can get pretty aggressive.

"She broke a little flat footed and she also didn't switch leads," added Progno. "I'm not sure what that was because she's never not done that [switched leads] but she's also never had to run that hard. At Finger Lakes, it's just a cakewalk for her."

Spin a Yarn exited the Saratoga effort to win a Finger Lakes state-bred allowance on September 23 by a comfortable 11 lengths.

Progno said he used the Saratoga experience to draw up a new game plan for Spin a Yarn with the filly shipping to Belmont one week early and registering a five-eighths breeze over Big Sandy in 1:01.22 on Sunday under Kendrick Carmouche.

"With Belmont being a farther ship, we came down last Wednesday and she shipped much better. It was night and day difference," said Progno. "We went right to the track Thursday and had a nice breeze on Sunday in 1:01 and change and she galloped out nice in 1:14 for three quarters in hand. She's eating up well and hasn't missed a beat."

Progno said Carmouche, who picks up the mount for Saturday's 6 ½-furlong test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, was suitably impressed with the breeze.

"He was very pleased with her. His first comment to me was, 'she's a missile,'" said Progno.

Out of the Elusive Quality mare Satin Sheeks, Spin a Yarn has dominated her competitive at Finger Lakes with a series of prominent performances which Progno says is both good and bad as she steps into deeper waters Saturday in a 10-horse field led by multiple stakes winner Newly Minted, who was also bred by the Bromans.

"I think she's still a little bit green. She's only run six times, five this year, and every race is a learning experience," said Progno. "The bad part is that I don't think she learns a lot at Finger Lakes because she's usually by herself at the end. I'm expecting good things from her. This is a step up and a tougher race. Newly Minted has been a staple of the New York-bred fillies and there are plenty others in there that are going to be tough."

Progno said he is hopeful Carmouche can work out a good trip for Spin a Yarn from post 7.

"I like the post position. We've been inside in her other races where we had to work our way to the outside so we didn't get shuffled down in," said Progno. "We should get a nice spot down the backstretch and if she's not on the lead, she'll be stalking the pace."

Progno, a three-time stakes winning trainer, will look to add his first stakes score at Belmont on Saturday. He said Spin a Yarn is in position to get the job done.

"I'm confident we're going into this race well above what we were going into the Saratoga race," said Progno. "She's settled in and we have no excuses. We just have to see if she can step up to these older horses. She's got her work cut out for her but if she shows well, we'll know we have a really good filly on our hands."