Musical Heart looking for breakthrough win in Stymie

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Musical Heart will make his third attempt at winning his first stakes of the winter when he meets Mr. Buff and three others in Saturday’s $125,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct.

Claimed for $62,500 three starts back by trainer Rob Atras for Michael Dubb, Musical Heart finished second to Backsideofthemoon in the Queens County Stake on Dec. 19 and third to Mr. Buff in the Jazil Stakes on Jan. 23. In the Jazil, Musical Heart found himself on the lead under Manny Franco after Backsideofthemoon broke poorly.

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“Backsideofthemoon broke slow, Manny was on the inside there, and he kind of went on with it,” Atras said. “I think we probably went a little bit quick. We were already committed to the front.”

The Stymie is run as a one-turn mile. Last October, Musical Heart finished second to the multiple graded-stakes winner Performer in a one-turn mile allowance race at Belmont.

“He’s won from six furlongs to a mile and a quarter,” Atras said. “I don’t really know what this horse’s best distance is. He’s got a high cruising speed. He’s kind of a handy horse to have.”

Atras also had Grade 3 Toboggan winner American Power nominated to the Stymie, but he was not entered. Atras said he is considering running American Power in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Stakes on March 6. He is definitely planning to start Chateau in that race.

With Franco riding Mr. Buff, Dylan Davis will ride Musical Heart from post 2 in the Stymie.

Mr. Buff, a 10-time stakes-winning New York-bred, drew post 3. Completing the Stymie field are Tintoretto, running on dirt for the first time; Limonite, coming off a sharp allowance win; and Alwaysmining.

With only a five-horse field, the Stymie is carded as race 3 on the nine-race program.