BUFFALO MAN IN RANGE

Author's note: Some readers have noted the typo's on my pages in recent days (typing with one hand will do that). Thoroughblog regrets the mistakes.


HE'S THE MAN!

Top Canadian-bred BUFFALO MAN ($190,000 2yo purchase) scored a hard-earned win the featured Championship Stakes in Ocala yesterday by 1 1/2 lengths over the useful colt Green Vegas, continuing a possible journey to the Kentucky Derby and later, the Queen's Plate.
Owned in part by NCAA basketball coach Rick Pitino and Clinton Glassock and trained by Cam Gambolati (Spend a Buck fame), Buffalo Man stalked the pace of Steelix throughout the 1 1/16 miles and then took over into the stretch and out-battled Green Vegas to the wire while drifting out under strong handling by Edgar Prado. It's a long way from Ocala to Kentucky, even Toronto, but the son of El Prado - Perfect Six (see a previous post for a pedigree analysis) is going the right direction.
Bad news for SKIP CODE, a graded SW at Woodbine last year - he finished last after breaking through the gate before the race.
BUFFALO MAN, who, according to Prado, was "looking for competition" missed the 4-year-old track record of 1:44 1/5 by one-tick.
Up next, the Fountain of Youth or Louisiana Derby.

Top Notch Lady, who has had flirted with top-class status, blew past fillies to win the Florida Breeders' Distaff by 7 lengths under Julien Leparoux. Stablemate Howaboutrightnow and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson helped set a fast pace and they faded to 4th.
The 'Lady is by Sultry Song out of a Blade mare and is owned by the family of breeder Charles Nuckols plus Graaeme Lang.

FROM THE NICE BUT WAY-TOO-BIZARRE FILE

LAWRENCE ROMAN gave BACK the money to the folks who bought a share of Lawrence the Roman before the colt's ugly display in the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct last weekend. Unprecedented? Don't know - but totally bizarre. Hey the guy felt bad but take the money!! Meanwhile, maybe the horse will come back better than ever.