My Boy Tate, Our Last Buck fresh for John Morrissey

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Michelle Nevin hopes either My Boy Tate or Our Last Buck can carry their Aqueduct winter form up to Saratoga when the two 7-year-old geldings head a field of nine New York-breds entered in Thursday’s $100,000 John Morrissey Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Our Last Buck won the Say Florida Sandy in January, while My Boy Tate captured the Hollie Hughes and Haynesfield in February and March, respectively.

The 3 3/4-length victory in the Say Florida Sandy was the last of seven races Our Last Buck had from June 2020 to January. Nevin felt the time was right for a freshening, so this will be Our Last Buck’s first start in 208 days.

“He was another horse I felt was just getting a little bit too light on me,” Nevin said. “I just wanted to give him a break. He did really well in the break, it was a little hard to get that fitness level back, but he’s doing good.”

Luis Saez has the call on Our Last Buck, who figures to benefit from what should be a lively pace in the Morrissey.

My Boy Tate was freshened following a fourth-place finish as the favorite in an open-company allowance run in the slop on May 5 at Parx Racing.

Though My Boy Tate was 5 for 6 over wet tracks entering that Parx race, Nevin said “right out of the gates I could see he just wasn’t handling it.”

My Boy Tate has run well at Saratoga, winning a maiden race here in 2017 and twice finishing second in the Tale of the Cat Stakes against open company. He finished third to Funny Guy in last year’s Morrissey.

Wudda U Think Now is back with New York-breds after competing in two very difficult open-company allowance races. On June 3 at Belmont, Wudda U Think Now ran into Following Sea, a very fast 3-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher. On July 17 here, Wudda U Think Now dueled with Beau Liam, before finishing fourth, 8 1/4 lengths behind that one in a very fast first-level allowance.

Wudda U Think Now figures to be part of the early pace under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Morning Breez has only five wins from 42 career starts, but he has finished second or third 21 times. He is coming off an allowance win versus open company and has since been transferred from Bob Klesaris to Pat Reynolds.

“He’s an old class horse, he usually gives it a good try. Rather than run in an open two-other-than, which is a war, I figured maybe we’d take a shot in here,” Reynolds said. “There’ll be some pace, and he’s feeling pretty good and he came over in very good order from a good guy.”

Jose Lezcano rides Morning Breez.

Foolish Ghost won an open-company second-level allowance on July 4 at Monmouth Park and is back in this spot for trainer Ray Handal.

Jemography, Runningwscissors, Wow Brown, and Captain Bombastic complete the field.