Mr. Buff, Alvarado uninjured after training incident

ELMONT, N.Y. – Both Mr. Buff and jockey Junior Alvarado escaped injury after the 11-time stakes winner unseated Alvarado following a Sunday morning workout at Belmont Park. Mr. Buff remains on schedule for a start in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes for New York-breds on Monday.

Alvarado rode two winners from five mounts on Sunday’s card.

Mr. Buff had just completed a leisurely half-mile workout in 50.09 seconds Sunday over Belmont’s main track. Trainer John Kimmel said that when Alvarado pulled the horse up around the turn, there were a lot of horses waiting to be allowed onto the turf course. Kimmel said Mr. Buff made an abrupt left-hand turn, and Alvarado was unseated. Alvarado initially had a hold of Mr. Buff, but the horse “tried to cow-kick him and he broke away,” Kimmel said.

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Mr. Buff ran off the track and down a horse path toward the track kitchen. He crossed a road, went down another horse path, down a hill, and went through a tunnel that led to another horse path, and eventually returned to his barn on the backside.

“Not a scrape on him,” Kimmel said. “He went 50 on the track and 24 and change on the backside. He was no worse for the wear.”

Though Mr. Buff has won seven stakes restricted to New York-breds, he is winless in three tries in the Commentator, a one-turn mile race.

Mr. Buff, a 7-year-old gelding who has won 17 of 45 starts and earned $1.38 million, is coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Westchester here on May 1.

Kimmel will have others to run on Monday’s Memorial Day card, devoted entirely to New York breds. Dr. Blute will run in the $125,000 Mike Lee for 3-year-olds and Secret Love will run in the $125,000 Bouwerie for 3-year-old fillies.

Dr. Blute won on dirt in his debut and then finished a troubled second in a first-level allowance on turf. Secret Love, winner of the Franklin Square Stakes in January, is coming out of a second-place finish against older fillies and mares in a second-level allowance for New York-breds on April 15.

Kimmel entered The Reds in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Reds crossed the finish line second but was elevated to first in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico on April 24. Kimmel has worked the son of Tonalist twice on the turf, including Sunday when he went a half-mile in 47.40 seconds, the fastest of 19 moves at the distance over a very firm turf course.

Kimmel said if Friday’s forecasted rains made the turf course “boggy and soft,” he would likely scratch The Reds.