Mr. Buff searching for best form as he goes for Empire Classic repeat

ELMONT, N.Y. – The connections of Mr. Buff hope a return to New York-bred competition results in a return to the winner’s circle when the 6-year-old gelding seeks a repeat victory in the Empire Classic on Saturday at Belmont Park.

The Empire Classic – this year worth $175,000 compared to $300,000 last year – heads an 11-race card devoted entirely to New York-breds. There are eight stakes worth $1.2 million. First post is noon.

Mr. Buff, a 6-year-old gelding by Friend or Foe owned and bred by Chester and Mary Broman and trained by John Kimmel, will be making his 40th career start in the Empire Classic. He won this race last year as the 3-2 favorite. He was beaten two years ago as a 10-1 longshot.

Mr. Buff was dominant last winter, winning three stakes including the Haynesfield at Aqueduct by 20 lengths. After a break, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was beaten by Funny Guy in the Commentator Stakes and then was trounced twice in graded stakes, including a last-place finish behind Improbable in the Grade 1 Whitney.

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Mr. Buff has been most successful when using his speed.

“He makes other horses use themselves but maybe when you get in with the higher class, the Grade 1 horses don’t give up so fast,” Kimmel said.

The 84-day layoff entering the Empire Classic is not necessarily by design, Kimmel said. There was no race for him at Saratoga or early in the Belmont meet.

Kimmel likes the stamina-building breezes Mr. Buff has had leading to this but adds “we’ll have to see if the big man comes back around. I guess there’s always a chance he could be getting to that point in his career.”

Mr. Buff, the 126-pound highweight, will break from post 2 in the eight-horse field. Others entered include Funny Guy, who beat Mr. Buff in the Commentator going a mile here in June; Chestertown, the 3-year-old who won the Albany Stakes last out; Bankit, Sea Foam, Evaluator, Winston’s Chance, and Our Last Buck.

Ratajkowski going for Distaff repeat

Ratajkowski will seek a repeat victory in the $175,000 Empire Distaff when she faces six rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Ratajkowski, trained by Graham Motion, has won four consecutive races at Belmont. She is coming off a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Union Avenue Stakes at Saratoga.

Mrs. Orb, beaten a neck by Ratajkowski in the Critical Eye here in June, Lucky Move, Makingcents, Critical Value, Forever Changed, and Singular Sensation complete the field.