Mr. Buff by a nose in Alex M. Robb Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The in-form Mr. Buff and off-form Twisted Tom hooked up with five furlongs to run in Saturday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct. Given their recent past-performance lines, it didn’t seem like it was going to be a fair fight.

But Mr. Buff needed all his courage to hold off a revitalized Twisted Tom and win the Alex Robb by a nose. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to defending Alex Robb winner Control Group in third.

The win was the third straight for Mr. Buff, a 4-year-old gelding by Friend or Foe owned and bred by Chester and Mary Broman and trained by John Kimmel. He was ridden to victory for the third straight time by David Cohen.

Mr. Buff had won previously only when able to secure the lead shortly after the start. The turf horse Black Tide made the early lead Saturday, but his stamina on dirt lasted less than three furlongs.

Mr. Buff took over from a retreating Black Tide five furlongs out. Junior Alvarado allowed Twisted Tom, a five-time stakes winner at 3 who had been soundly beaten in two starts this year, to move into second about five furlongs from the wire.

The two were on even terms until the top of the lane, where it looked as though Mr. Buff was going to spurt clear. Though Twisted Tom battled on, he just couldn’t rein in Mr. Buff.

“He’s the type of horse that even though he’s very speedy, you don’t want to ask him or else he gets too rank early,” Cohen said of Mr. Buff. “I let him develop into his pace and find his stride that he likes to get into down the backside, and once he found his stride, he’s got so much heart, he’s really hard to pass, and he showed that again today.”

Alvarado said Twisted Tom, who hadn’t run since August, was eager to get involved, and he didn’t want to fight him.

“I don’t want to try and hold him because I would probably never get him going again,” Alvarado said. “I had to make my chance and keep going, and hopefully it pays off.

“I don’t want to take nothing away from the winner. My horse ran a great race, too. He was just a little better today than me.”

Following Control Group in the order of finish were Testosterstone, Winston’s Chance, and Black Tide. Hit It Once More and Caledonian both scratched to run in an allowance race here on Tuesday.

In addition to the $55,000 winner’s share of the Robb’s $100,000 base purse, Mr. Buff earned $6,875 as part of the NYRA loyalty program. This was Mr. Buff’s 11th start at a NYRA track since April 6, making him a platinum member, meaning he gets an additional 12.5 percent in purse money. If he runs again before March 31, he will become a diamond member and run for 15 percent more money.

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