The last time St. Elias Stable's Dr Post raced at Belmont Park, he finished second to Tiz the Law in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Eleven months later the now 4-year-old Quality Road colt registered another strong effort over the track, running down Mr. Buff in the final furlong and fending off a charging Wicked Trick for a 1 1/2-length victory in the May 1, $200,000 Westchester Stakes (G3) for 4-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile.
The 93rd running of the Westchester, the first graded stakes of the 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet, saw 11-time stakes winner Mr. Buff, in search of a long-awaited first graded stakes score, sent to the front under jockey Edgard Zayas after breaking sharply from post 5. He led the six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in :24.53, a half in :48.05, and three-quarters in 1:11.62 over the fast main track.
Dr Post, making his first start off an eight-month layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher, broke alertly from the outermost post and tracked closely in second under jockey Manny Franco.
Out of the turn, Franco asked his charge for more, and Dr Post willingly responded, overtaking Mr. Buff from the outside. Wicked Trick came on strong for second, but Dr Post completed the course in a final time of 1:35.14 for his first graded stakes win.
"The fractions helped," said Franco, who coincidentally had defeated Dr Post aboard Tiz the Law in last year's Triple Crown race going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont. "Mr. Buff slowed down a little bit, and I was right there. I didn't have to rush my horse off his feet. He just took me around the right way. I think that helped me get the victory."
Wicked Trick, under jockey Jose Lezcano, edged Mr. Buff by a neck for second. A stewards' inquiry and a jockey objection from Top Seed rider Trevor McCarthy looking into Wicked Trick's potentially interfering with fourth-place finisher Top Seed at the half-mile pole and in the stretch resulted in no change.
Wicked Trick, trained and co-owned by Linda Rice, was making his first stakes appearance in five starts and earned stakes black type for the first time in his career.
The 7-year-old Mr. Buff, making his 45th career start, was 8 3/4 lengths clear of Top Seed. He has finished in the money in five of his last six starts.
Limonite and Backsideofthemoon completed the order of finish.
Dr Post, who followed last year's Belmont Stakes by running third in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) in July at Monmouth Park, last raced when fourth in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) in September at Saratoga Race Course. Still the slight 7-5 favorite over Mr. Buff, he returned $4.80 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $480,635. He was bred in Kentucky by Cloyce C. Clark out of the grade 2-winning Hennessy mare Mary Delaney, and was a $400,000 purchase by Crupi's New Castle Farm from Hunter Valley's consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Hunter Valley doubled its money after picking him up for $200,000 from Select Sales' consignment to the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
"Todd and the team got him ready down in Florida over the winter, and he had been training really well coming into this race and ran to his training," said Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. "I think this was a good starting point for him, and hopefully, he can continue to progress from here."
Mary Delaney is also the dam of the winning Elusive Quality filly Cosmic Shore, who earned $310,751 while racing in Japan. Dr Post, the mare's seventh of nine foals, is her lone graded winner. Her last reported foal is an unraced 2-year-old filly by Klimt.
