Graded stakes winner Sunny Ridge takes new job as stable pony

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When Mr. Buff went to work Tuesday morning at Belmont Park, he was accompanied by trainer John Kimmel’s new stable pony Sunny Ridge.

Sunny Ridge, a New Jersey-bred gelding by Holy Bull, won seven stakes, including a pair Grade 3’s, when running for trainer Jason Servis. After Servis was indicted 13 months ago for allegedly giving horses misbranded medications, Sunny Ridge was ultimately transferred to Kimmel by owner-breeder Dennis Drazin.

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Sunny Ridge showed no interest in any of his three runs for Kimmel, getting beat a combined 65 lengths in his first two starts and eased in his most recent race on March 26. Kimmel said afterward that Drazin agreed to stop on the gelding.

“He doesn’t want to try,” Kimmel said. “He’d go out and breeze fine, but when it comes to racing and he has to lay it down, he says, 'No, I’m not going to do that.’ ”

Sunny Ridge finished with a record of 8-6-7 from 32 starts. In addition to his seven stakes wins, he finished third in both the Grade 1 Haskell in 2016 and the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in 2018.

Meanwhile, Mr. Buff, who was scratched from last Saturday’s Grade 3 Excelsior due to colic pain, worked a half-mile in 48.54 seconds, the fastest of 18 works at the distance over Belmont’s main track. He went in company with Quickflash.

“He worked great, came back great,” Kimmel said. “I want to keep him on somewhat of a schedule now that I have the Westchester in the back of my mind.”

The Grade 3 Westchester is scheduled for May 1.