Franco picks up Stymie mount on Mr. Buff

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With Kendrick Carmouche heading to Gulfstream Park to ride Fire At Will in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes, Manny Franco will ride Mr. Buff in the $125,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct, trainer John Kimmel said Monday.

Carmouche had ridden Mr. Buff in his last two starts – subbing for regular rider Junior Alvarado who is wintering in Florida – including a seven-length victory in the Jazil Stakes on Jan. 23.

Franco has ridden Mr. Buff just once, that being a fourth-place finish in an allowance race at Belmont in September 2018.

Kimmel said though Mr. Buff is viewed as strictly a front-runner, he is trying to instill into his riders that is not the case.

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“You ask him coming out of there, but you don’t have to continue hustling him for a quarter-mile,” Kimmel said.

Mr. Buff is expected to top a small field for the Stymie. Trainer Rob Atras is expected to run either American Power or Musical Heart. Tintoretto, Limonite, and Sunny Ridge are possible.