Mr. Buff Reaches Millionaire Status in Haynesfield

Mr. Buff handled a cutback to a one-turn mile with ease Feb. 22, besting four New York-breds by an astonishing 20 lengths on his way to becoming a millionaire in the $101,775 Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by John Kimmel, the Chester and Mary Broman homebred broke sharply from his inside post under regular rider Junior Alvarado and led the strung-out field with Syndergaard right at his throatlatch through an opening quarter-mile in :23.22 on a fast main track. Around the far turn, through a half-mile in :45.76, Mr. Buff extended his advantage as Syndergaard began to falter, with Honor Up making up ground. 

At the quarter-pole, Alvarado gave the 17.2-hand wonder a few shakes of the reins, and he opened a wide margin before gearing down at the wire, finishing in 1:36.22.

Honor Up finished second, a length ahead of Syndergaard. Twisted Tom and Fleet Irish rounded out the order of finish.

Mr. Buff was cutting back in distance from a repeat win in the 1 1/8-mile Jazi Stakes Jan. 25.

Alvarado, who has been aboard the 6-year-old gelding for three of the jockey's four stakes wins this meet, said he wanted his mount to be as sharp as possible out of the gate. 

"Just because it's a mile race, I was going to get out of there gunning," Alvarado said. "I was going to go no matter what (post) position I was in at the beginning.

"Coming from a mile-and-an-eighth race, I didn't want him to fall into a slow rhythm at the beginning. I just wanted to make sure I got him sharp out of there. He's such a cool horse and knows what to do. You just nudge him a little out the gate, and he knew what he was supposed to do.

"At the quarter-pole, I asked him a little, and he took off again. He gave me the extra kick. He's just a fast horse. It's simple."

Kimmel was highly impressed with what he saw out of Mr. Buff, who won his eighth stakes race and pushed his earnings to $1,051,536.

"He really put that group away easily. I don't know what the speed figures will be, but he was geared down right to the wire. I haven't seen a mile race run in 1:36 in a while," Kimmel said.

Video: Haynesfield S. (BT)

As far as future plans are concerned, Kimmel neither ruled out a return to graded stakes company or shipping out of state.

Mr. Buff, whose résumé includes wins in last year's Empire Classic Handicap and back-to-back scores in the Alex M. Robb Stakes, has been well beaten in his three efforts against graded stakes company.

"We'll consider the (May 2) Westchester (G3), or maybe the (April 18) Oaklawn Handicap (G2). We'll see how the numbers come back and evaluate the time frame," Kimmel said. "Every time I took him out of town, I wasn't happy with what happened, but right now he seems to be very well."

Mr. Buff, who returned $2.60 as the 1-5 favorite, is by Friend Or Foe  and is out of the Speightstown  mare Speightful Affair.

Franco Rides Fives Winners

Jockey Manny Franco won five races Saturday at Aqueduct, including the ninth-race finale aboard favorite Desbordes.

Franco, the New York Racing Association's leading rider in 2018-19, also piloted the winners in races 2, 4, 5, and 7. He moved into a tie for second with Eric Cancel with 48 winners during Aqueduct winter meets, trailing only Jose Lezcano's 52 victories.

Franco won five races Sept. 13 at Belmont Park and picked up his first career five-win day March 11, 2018, at the Big A.

"I got good mounts today, and I was confident about that," Franco said. "Everything went the right way. We got five winners. I really don't think about it. I'm just trying to ride the horses the way I'm told, follow instructions, and try to do my best."

Four of Franco's winners were favorites, starting with We Should Talk, who returned $5.10 on a $2 win wager in race 2. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, won on back-to-back favorites in races 4 and 5 with Bertranda ($3.70) and Septimius Severus ($6.60) and returned to the winner's circle aboard Playwright ($7.50) in race 7. Desbordes returned $5.