Our Last Buck gets serious in Say Florida Sandy Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Michelle Nevin said when she first received Our Last Buck to train, late in his 5-year-old season, the gelding was “silly.”

On Saturday, in his 7-year-old debut, Our Last Buck ran like a serious horse, rallying past odds-on favorite Funny Guy in the final furlong to win the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes for New York-breds by 3 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to the pacesetting Runningwscissors. My Boy Tate and Celtic Chaos completed the order of finish.

The win was the sixth in 18 races for Our Last Buck, a gelding by Courageous Cat owned by J and N Stables. Our Last Buck was making his stakes debut after winning a first-level allowance race going a mile here on Dec. 12.

“It might be a process of age and him just settling down,” Nevin said when asked why Our Last Buck seems to be running his best at an advanced age.

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“When we first got him, he was a very silly, very nervous-type horse. But just steadily over time, he’s just become a more manageable, more-relaxed-type horse and I think that’s what’s really helping him.”

Our Last Buck relaxed nicely early Saturday under Carmouche. Our Last Buck was fourth, about 5 1/2 lengths off the pace, while Runningwscissors set the pace chased by My Boy Tate through an opening quarter of 22.96 seconds.

Carmouche had Our Last Buck in fourth, but not too far behind the favorite, Funny Guy, the 124-pound highweight who was racing in third under Manny Franco.

As Funny Guy advanced on the leaders, so did Our Last Buck. Carmouche had a ton of horse and he let Funny Guy make the first move.

Carmouche tipped Our Last Buck four wide in the lane and he accelerated past Funny Guy at the eighth pole.

Our Last Buck covered the seven furlongs in 1:25.11 and returned $14.20.

“My horse broke so sharp I could have done anything I wanted,” Carmouche said. “From there I just wanted to make sure I stayed close to the favorite and he had me in a stalking position the whole time.”

John Terranova, the trainer of beaten favorite Funny Guy, said his horse may have struggled with the deeper, slower Aqueduct main track.

“I think that’s the thing that gets to him because he is a big heavy colt,” Terranova said. “He needs that type of faster, quick surface that will allow him to show his best.”