Mr. Buff finds form of old in strong Empire Classic victory

ELMONT, N.Y. - The bettors had jumped ship. There were even seeds of doubt sewn in the minds of his connections that Mr. Buff, the top New York-bred older dirt male the last two years, was past his prime.

On Saturday, Belmont Park, Mr. Buff showed he’s still got some run in those 6-year-old legs of his as he galloped to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $175,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park. The Empire Classic was the last of eight stakes - with purses totaling $1.2 million - restricted to New York-breds on New York Showcase Day.

It was Mr. Buff’s 15th victory in his 40th career start. It was his ninth stakes victory.

“It’s a real joy for me,” winning trainer John Kimmel said afterward. “We’re not so happy about the winning as we are about him showing his form and knowing we don’t have an aged horse that’s tailing off. We have a horse that’s 6 and still good.”

Since winning the Alex Robb Stakes in December 2018, Mr. Buff was the dominant New York-bred older male for nearly two years. He reeled off five more victories in statebred stakes, including this race last year and the Haynesfield Stakes by 20 lengths at Aqueduct in February.

But when he tried to step into open company, Mr. Buff was exposed. Last November, he finished 10th of 11 in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill. In July he finished fifth of six in the Grade 2 Suburban here. On Aug. 1, he was last of five in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga.

“I don’t understand why he didn’t run any better,” jockey Junior Alvarado said. “I’m not saying he should have won but at least show a better effort in open company.”

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The main reason Alvarado didn’t lose faith in Mr. Buff is because he had been working the horse since the Whitney. He was still feeling life in those legs.

The bettors who sent him off at 7-2 odds Saturday may have jumped ship because in addition to Mr. Buff’s poor form, the presence of Sea Foam in the Empire Classic meant that Mr. Buff might struggle to get the lead, the position he most covets early in his races.

Alvarado said he wasn’t so much concerned with getting the lead as he was getting Mr. Buff comfortable. The gelding broke running and he sparred inside of Sea Foam early before achieving a short lead after a quarter in 23.50 seconds. He was able to open up a length advantage through a half-mile in 47.56 and six furlongs in 1:11.50.

In upper stretch, when Mr. Buff switched leads, he found another gear and ran away from any would be stretch challengers. Mr. Buff, a gelding by Friend or Foe owned and bred by Chester and Mary Broman, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.75 and returned $9.40 as the second choice.

Bankit rallied for second, three lengths in front of Sea Foam. It was a neck back to 8-5 favorite Funny Guy. Winston’s Chance, Chestertown, and Evaluator completed the order of finish.

“For me I was over the moon when I crossed the wire,” Alvarado said. “He deserved it. He’s always been such a cool horse and I was happy to get to show that he’s still the main contender here.”

Funny Guy, who beat Mr. Buff in the Commentator Stakes here in June, made a menacing move into third approaching the top of the stretch, but flattened out in the lane.

“He was just kind of empty down the lane,” jockey John Velazquez said. “It looked like he was going to come running to the quarter pole. From the quarter pole to the sixteenth pole the horses I passed all passed me back.”

Lucky Move wins Distaff

The last time Lucky Move competed in a New York-bred stakes, she was beaten a nose by Mrs. Orb in the Bay Ridge Stakes last December at Aqueduct.

Saturday, Lucky Move turned the tables on Mrs. Orb, rallying four wide in the stretch under Irad Ortiz Jr. to beat that rival by 1/4 lengths in the 175,000 Empire Distaff.

Mrs. Orb, who had to alter course under Dylan Davis after being on the inside of Lucky Move at the top of the lane, finished second by two lengths over Makingcents. The latter filly twice broke through the gate prior to the start of the race and did well to finish third.

Ratajkowski, last year’s Empire Distaff winner, faded to fourth as the 9-5 favorite after setting the pace. Singular Sensation, Forever Changed, and Critical Value completed the order of finish.

The win was the sixth from 31 starts for Lucky Move, a 6-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky owned by Ten Strike Racing and trained by Juan Carlos Guerrero. She had only made six prior starts against New York-breds with just one win.

Entering the Empire Distaff, Lucky Move had won the Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park but had suffered three consecutive open-stakes losses.

Noting that Lucky Move is a big mare, Ortiz let her drop back to last early and kept her three wide. After Ratajkowski ran a solid half-mile in 46.40 seconds, Ortiz gradually let Lucky Move pick it up and she was in contention around the far turn.

“When she made that little move I said ‘it’s over,’ “ Guerrero said by phone. “She can cover some ground.”

Lucky Move came into the stretch four wide, but lugged in a little bit as she approached the front-runners. Ortiz corrected her without causing any problems and Lucky Move edged clear.

Lucky Move covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.36 and returned $10.40 to win.

“You can see she’s a huge filly, she’s a big filly I don’t want to be in her way, I don’t want to take too much hold of her,” Ortiz said. “I let her move starting at the half-mile, she started to pick it up and responded really well so I just kept going with her.”