Buttah churns out first stakes win in $200K John Morrissey
Eddie F’s Racing’s Buttah was twice stakes placed heading into Thursday’s $200,000 John Morrissey, and broke through at that level under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano with a prominent trip in the seven-furlong sprint for New York-breds 3-years-old and up at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Ilkay Kantarmaci, the 4-year-old son of Leofric completed a trifecta of stakes-winners produced by the Chief Seattle mare Salty Little Sis, whose other progeny include Eddie F’s color-bearers Lobsta – a dual stakes-winner that banked more than $350,000 – and Chowda. All three of the siblings were bred in New York by Fedwell Farms.
Buttah, who made 16 of his first 17 starts for recently retired trainer Gary Sciacca, is 2-for-3 since joining the Kantarmaci barn, and entered from a local one-length allowance score facing open company on June 6 Belmont Stakes Day at odds of 29-1. The third-place finisher, Local Knowledge, exited that event to win the Grade 2 Amsterdam on July 31 here, while fifth-place Sea Strike went on to win the local Listed Curlin presented by Casamigos on August 2.
Backers would not get such a savory price on Buttah in the John Morrissey as he stepped back into state-bred company for the first time in seven starts, and he returned $13.80 on a $2 win bet at odds of 5-1 for his 1 1/2-length score over the late-running Doc Sullivan.
“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 Belmont Stakes week and he's getting better and better. I didn't do anything special with him. He's just a nice horse."
Eddie Fazzone, whose Eddie F’s Racing is named for his Saratoga seafood restaurant of the same name, praised the work Kantarmaci has done with Buttah after Sciacca’s recommendation to move the gray colt into his care.
"It is great, this horse, all the brothers,” he said of his trio of stakes-winning half-brothers. “Every time you think it can't get better, it gets better, and Ilkay, what a job. Unbelievable job. Head's up a little bit to Gary, 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 emerged from post 5-of-12, sat back just off the pace and settled between Acoustic Ave and the rail-riding El Grande O as Hit the Post made the front to his inside and marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.74 seconds over the fast dirt.
Castellano coaxed Buttah into contention approaching the turn and he matched strides with the pacesetter while Acoustic Ave was angled around him to make his bid and El Grande O spun his wheels. The half-mile elapsed in 45.24 and Buttah tried to stick his head in front while a stubborn Hit the Post clung to a precarious lead along the inside straightening for home.
Buttah inched ahead passing the eighth pole and was met with the challenge from a hard-trying Acoustic Ave after three-quarters in 1:09.86. Buttah kept on strongly through the final sixteenth to turn back Acoustic Ave, and despite multiple stakes-winner and last year's Morrissey victor Doc Sullivan making an impressive late run after tracking in last through the early stages, Buttah would not be denied as he crossed the wire first in a final time of 1:22.80.
Doc Sullivan was a half-length the better of Acoustic Ave with Light Man running on to complete the superfecta. Hit the Post, El Grande O, Donegal Surges, Dr. Kraft, Yo Banana Boy, Drake’s Passage, Bold Journey and Radio Red completed the order of finish. Sacrosanct was scratched.
Castellano, who now has 5,994 career victories in the saddle, said he tried to ride Buttah similarly to one month ago in his stalking allowance score.
“I loved the trip, broke good out of the gate, I didn't want to dictate the pace, I let those two horses go to the lead,” he explained. “Keep track the same way around last time, he tracked a horse. Turning for home I had plenty of horse. Kind of a game horse, when he sees the other horse, he kind of hesitates a little bit, but when encouraged a little bit, he took off. The way he finished, very impressed."
Kantarmaci said he put full faith in Castellano, who one race earlier landed a smart pacesetting score with Starship Titan in a turf optional claimer.
"Javier gave me a perfect ride, couldn't be better than this,” the trainer said. “When I saw him in the paddock, he had won the race before I said to him, 'do whatever you want to do, not what I'm going to tell you.' He gave me a great ride, so Javier is Javier - so good.”
Kantarmaci said no further targets for Buttah have been decided.
"We'll see how he comes back, and we'll go from there,” he said. “There are a lot of races, he's going to tell us what he wants to do."
Buttah banked $110,000 in victory, improving his lifetime record to 20-5-6-1 with his bankroll boosted to $481,048.
Irad Ortiz, Jr., jockey of the Amelia Green-trained post-time favorite Doc Sullivan, said the son of Solomini was willing when asked for his best late in his first start in more than four months.
“He didn't have that much speed early in the race, it seemed. So I just let him be him. He finished really, really good," Ortiz, Jr. said. "He broke OK, but they ran away from me, so just let him be him and make a run."
Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with an 11-race card, featuring the Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Race 9 and the Grade 2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks in Race 10. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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