Connections of New York-Bred Buttah Up for Vosburgh Try

New England might be where the accent originated, but New York is where Chowda , Lobsta , and Buttah  have made their names. After Buttah's next race this weekend, his connections might even be craving some Kentucky classics, such as Keeneland's famous burgoo and bread pudding. 

Buttah, the latest standard-bearer for a popular family campaigned by Eddie F's Racing, runs in the $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G3) Sept. 26 at Belmont Park. The 7-furlong test is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race, offering an automatic, fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland. 

A decade ago, Buttah's owner Eddie Fazzone opened his Eddie F's Eatery in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., described as Saratoga's one New England seafood house. In 2018, Fazzone opened a racing partnership stable of a similar name, intending to compete at modest levels on the New York circuit. 

For horse name fans, the stable has become famous for a number of half and full brothers, all bred in New York by Fedwell Farms and privately purchased by Fazzone. First came Chowda, an Emcee gelding out of the New York-bred Chief Seattle mare Salty Little Sis , who was never worse than second in her five starts. Chowda, foaled in 2017, won the 2020 Gander Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. His full brother Lobsta, born in 2018, was even better, winning the 2021 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, taking the 2022 Say Florida Sandy Stakes via disqualification, and finishing on the board in four other stakes. 

Now comes Buttah, who will look to surpass both his half brothers when he steps into graded stakes company Saturday. A 4-year-old colt by Leofric , Buttah was stakes-placed at age 2 and 3. This season, he captured the John Morrissey Stakes over other state-breds in his most recent start. In May, he was transferred to trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci after the retirement of trainer Gary Sciacca.

Fazzone credits Sciacca for the decision. "Gary had the horse, did well with him, he retired, he recommended (Ilkay), I didn't really know Ilkay. He said, 'You've got to give the horse to him.' I said, 'OK, I'm going to go with him.' And what a move he's been."

Buttah finished second in his debut for the barn before winning twice at Saratoga Race Course, first taking an allowance race and then breaking through Aug. 6 in the John Morrissey. 

"He's a really nice horse," Kantarmaci said. "He showed me when I ran him the first time, he showed me that he needed the race; he finished second. He won here (Saratoga) Belmont Stakes week and he's getting better and better. I didn't do anything special with him. He's just a nice horse."

Fazzone is enjoying the ride with his popular group of brothers, which has gone beyond what he could have expected. 

"It was always fun when we started with Chowda and I put some lists of names on our website and let our customers pick the name," he recalled. "Chowda was the overwhelming winner, then we had Lobsta and we just kept it going. It's been a fun ride with the names, but the horses have been a super family for me and my partners. We couldn't be happier. Every time you think it can't get better to win a race, it does."

In a well-timed twist, Tartah , the latest member of the family, made his debut Sept. 20 at Belmont Park, shortly after Buttah and other entries were dropped for the Vosburgh. Tartah, a son of Tourist , broke greenly, hitting the gate and finishing fifth. 

Buttah is one of three New York-breds entered in an expected field of 10 for the Vosburgh, along with stablemate El Grande O  and Doc Sullivan .

"There's really no New York-bred stakes coming up for him, and Ilkay and I discussed pointing him to the Vosburgh to take a shot," Fazzone said. "It's a grade 3 and going to be a really tough race, but at some point you've got to take the chance." 

They are certainly taking their chances with the right team. Rounding out Buttah's connections is Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano, who rode him to his two most recent wins. Castellano has won the Vosburgh five times (2003, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2025), the first of those coming in 2003 with Hall of Famer Ghostzapper  and last year he won aboard Patriot Spirit . Another Vosburgh win would tie him with Angel Cordero Jr. (1973, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990) for the all-time mark in this race, first contested in 1940.