Mr. Buff rolls to third straight Jazil Stakes victory Saturday at Aqueduct. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
The ultra-consistent Mr. Buff kicked off 2021 the same way he has the last two years Saturday – with a victory in the Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct. Chester and Mary Broman’s 7-year-old homebred Friend Or Foe gelding stayed undefeated in the 9-furlong stakes with a 7-length victory.
Breaking strongly, the 17.2-hand gelding conceded the lead early to Musical Heart as he galloped along in a comfortable second. Musical Heart covered the first quarter-mile in :23.96 and opened up multiple lengths on the small field with Mr. Buff another few lengths clear of the next three.
Mr. Buff cut into the frontrunner’s lead as :48.95 flashed on the board for the half and less than a furlong later he joined Musical Heart. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche looked full of confidence as he and Mr. Buff raced into the stretch. Glancing back to see Tenderfoot attempting to close, Carmouche urged Mr. Buff to click into another gear. The race was over before Tenderfoot even had a chance with Mr. Buff romping to a decisive victory in 1:53.47.
“He’s the winningest horse I’ve ever had,” winning trainer John Kimmel said. “He’s settled more and more. He’s just a very good and sound horse. He’s stayed very healthy all through the years. That’s the key with these horses; to keep them sound and healthy.”
Already a millionaire, Mr. Buff took his earnings to $1,295,786 with the win and registered his 16th victory from 43 starts.
By the Bromans’ multiple stakes-winning homebred Friends Lake stallion Friend Or Foe, Mr. Buff helped his owners become last year’s leading New York breeders by victories and was their highest earner with $307,500 bankrolled in 2020. Foaled at the Bromans’ Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Mr. Buff hasn’t ventured far from home during his career with just two starts coming outside the Empire State.
Mr. Buff is the second foal out of Grade 3-placed Speightful Affair with his older New York-bred half-brother Organic Gemini stakes placed in New York-bred company. The Bromans purchased Speightful Affair the year after Organic Gemini was born for $80,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale and sent her to Friend Or Foe for her first breeding under their name.
The mare returned to Mr. Buff’s sire the year of his birth to produce the winning New York-bred Cain Is Abel before producing a four-time winning New York-bred Scat Daddy son named Daddy Knows. That gelding gave Speightsful Affair the beginning of a productive run at Aqueduct by winning there Thursday.
The mare produced her first filly three years ago when giving birth to Mr. Buff’s unraced full sister Miss Buff. Speightful Affair produced a New York-bred Accelerate colt last year.
