Buddy's Humor gets the last laugh in Pan American

The dynamics of Saturday's $147,000

Pan

American S. changed when the turf marathon was transferred to Gulfstream

Park's main track and shortened to 1 1/4 miles, and the rerouting ultimately

worked to the advantage of Eli Lomita's BUDDY'S HUMOR (Distorted Humor). Wearing

down the pacesetting Presious Passion (Royal Anthem) and keeping him at bay

through a sustained stretch drive, the Bruce Levine charge stopped the teletimer

in 2:02 3/5 on the sloppy, sealed track. Because of the change of both surface

and distance from the originally scheduled 1 1/2 miles, the Pan American has

been downgraded from a Grade 3 to a listed stakes, pending review by the

American Graded Stakes Committee.

Despite stumbling leaving the gate, Presious Passion splashed straight to the

front and held a daylight lead through fractions of :23 1/5, :47 1/5 and 1:12

1/5. Buddy's Humor tracked in second before making his move on the far turn,

drawing to within a half-length of the leader while reaching the mile mark in

1:37. Sligovitz (Sligo Bay [Ire]), the 8-5 favorite, was also forwardly placed

in third, but he could not keep up with the top two and floated wide into the

stretch.

Although Buddy's Humor put his head in front of Presious Passion and inched a

half-length ahead in midstretch, the early leader kept fighting back in an

effort to reclaim the advantage. Under a Jose Lezcano drive, Buddy's Humor

fended off his stubborn foe to claim the victory by three-quarters of a length.

The winner returned $11.60, $5.40 and $3 as the 9-2 fourth choice in the

five-horse field.

Presious Passion yielded $3.60 and $2.20 at 2-1. It was another 5 1/2 lengths

back to Sligovitz, who paid $2.60 to show. The exotics were worth $46.60

(exacta), $88.40 (trifecta) and $357.80 (6-5-1-3 superfecta) with the 5-1 South

Handyman (Arg) (Southern Halo) in fourth. Quasicobra (Wild Rush) trailed home,

while Spice Route (GB) (King's Best) and Nergal (Fr) (Simon du Desert) were

scratched.

Buddy's Humor was notching his fourth career stakes score, following coups in

the Jersey Derby, Elkwood S. and Four Bases S. The four-year-old bay has also

placed in a pair of stakes, including a runner-up effort in the Canadian Turf S.

(G3) last time out. His record now reads 15-5-4-2, $358,648.

Bred in Kentucky by John C. Oxley, Buddy's Humor was snapped up by his

present connections for $435,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He was

produced by the Dehere mare Hello Barbara Sue, who is herself a half-sister to

Grade 2 queen Diamond on the Run (Kris S.) as well as stakes winners Tropical

Blossom (Thunder Gulch) and Barbette (High Yield). This is also the family of

Grade 1 scorers Super May (Super Concorde) and Appealing Zophie (Successful

Appeal). Buddy's Humor has an unnamed yearling half-sister by Monarchos.