New York Champion and Millionaire Mr. Buff Retired

Mr. Buff , Chester and Mary Broman's homebred multiple New York-bred champion and millionaire, has been retired from racing, his connections announced Nov. 2. He will head to the Bromans' Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, N.Y., and let down as the Bromans decide his aftercare plans, said Gregg Falk, the Chestertown farm manager.

The 7-year-old Friend Or Foe   gelding was trained by John Kimmel throughout his 48 starts (all but two in New York), during which he accumulated earnings of $1,403,536 from ages 2-7. He won 11 black-type events, including the Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in 2019, 2020, and 2021. He was third-best in the 2018 Classic Empire Handicap and came back in 2019 and 2020 to win the Belmont Park race twice. His accomplishments on the racetrack earned him honors as New York's champion older dirt male in 2019 and 2020.

In addition to the Jazil this year, Mr. Buff won the Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct and was third in the Westchester Stakes (G3) at Belmont. In his final start Oct. 30, he finished eighth in this year's edition of the Empire Classic. He concludes his career with a record of 17-8-5.

Kimmel said Mr. Buff retires sound, but that the gelding benefited from the use of lasix, which could no longer be administered for stakes races in New York starting in 2021.

"I think the main issue with him was he was bleeding—he wasn't gushing—but he bled like a 2 out of 5 in his last race," Kimmel said. "I think he's such a smart horse that he anticipates that now that he can't run on lasix in the stakes races and he's protecting himself. He's been so good to us.

"It's a difficult read because in the mornings when I do breeze him he's very competitive and acts super, but I treat him with lasix for his workouts and obviously we waited with the situation, the no lasix in the stakes races, at least in New York, and I think he knows and he's protecting himself.

"He retires sound and he doesn't have a blemish on him. He's been good to us and we didn't think it's necessary to push the envelop. He's going to the farm and they say any horse that wins 17 races, it's a tough accomplishment. Very few number of horses win that many races and stay healthy."

Happy retirement, Mr. Buff! Trainer John Kimmel has announced the retirement of the ultra-popular multiple #NYbred champion. The Bromans' homebred retires with career earnings of over $1.4 million and 11 stakes wins. He's shown walking off the track for the last time on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/ZnmSPfapLh

— NYTB (@nytbreeders) November 2, 2021

Mr. Buff is out of the graded stakes-placed Speightstown   mare Speightful Affair, who also produced stakes-placed Organic Gemini . The Bromans purchased Speightful Affair for $80,000 from Hidden Brook's consignment to the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale.

"His immediate plans are to ship up to Chestertown Farm and let down. Mr. Broman will decide his aftercare plans," said Gregg Falk, farm manager of the Bromans' Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, N.Y.

"He has always been a healthy horse. We have only had him to the farm once or twice," Falk continued. "He came up during COVID for a couple of weeks when there was no racing. John Kimmel has done a wonderful job managing his career, spacing his races out, and not overtraining him. He's a happy and healthy horse.

"He is telling us he's ready to do something different."