Señor Buscador earns a rest ahead of summer return
Time to chill.
Señor Buscador, resurgent winner of the Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup and a hard-trying third in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), is about one week into a well-deserved vacation at Peacefield Farm in Temecula, Calif.
“He’s traveled so much and traveled so well. But it has to take a toll on him at some point,” New Mexico-based trainer Todd Fincher said. “We’re just playing it cautious and giving him a break, let him chill and relax a little bit.”
Fincher plans to have a string of horses at Del Mar this summer. Señor Buscador will be the star of that group, of course. If all goes well, plans call for him to arrive at Del Mar in late May or early June. Ideally, he would run four times over the second half of what already has been a demanding season, culminating in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The July 27 San Diego Handicap (G2) is viewed as a possible prep for the Aug. 31 Pacific Classic (G1), which the connections have identified as a major target. “We haven’t ducked anybody at any time,” Fincher said. “We want to run against the best, and that would be the Pacific Classic.”
The 1 1/16-mile San Diego Handicap (G1) has been part of Señor Buscador’s schedule each of the previous two seasons. He ran eighth in that race in 2022 before rebounding in a big way to win it last July. He was unable to build on that victory in the Pacific Classic, however. The closer from the clouds lost considerable ground, getting caught five wide around the final turn. He was six wide during the stretch run en route to a fourth-place effort for jockey Geovanni Franco.
The 6-year-old son of Mineshaft represents a challenging mount for anyone who is given a leg up on him. He will come with a tremendous rush when he decides it is time. He resents being rushed.
Fincher believes that Junior Alvarado, in his desperation to cut into runaway leader Laurel River’s imposing margin in the Dubai World Cup, was guilty of giving Señor Buscador his cue too soon.
“We were not going to beat Laurel River that day. He definitely should have run second,” the veteran conditioner said. “The rider didn’t listen to instructions. Instead of waiting to make his run, he went way early and he flattened out. That hurts, but I’m not at all disappointed in the horse. The horse did what he was asked to do.”
Laurel River took almost immediate control from the far outside post in the field of 12 and dominated the Dubai World Cup by a record 8 1/2 lengths in arguably the most spectacular performance since the inception of the major international race in 1996. Señor Buscador finished a neck behind Ushba Tesoro in second in the March 30 contest. In the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup, Señor Buscador staged a prolonged rally to edge the Japanese star by a desperate head in the world’s richest race in a perfectly timed ride by Alvarado.
Fincher is so upset by the Dubai World Cup outcome that it is unclear whether Alvarado will retain the mount. He plans to discuss the situation with majority owner Joey Peacock Jr., who bred the horse with his late father, Joe.
“I just don’t know yet,” said the trainer about plans for a rider for the rest of the campaign.
Fincher said of the fallout from the Dubai decision-making, “It’s the competitor in me and also the competitor in the jockey thinking he had to go early. Unfortunately, it cost us second.” Alvarado guided the horse to a runner-up finish to National Treasure in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at speed-favoring Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.
In accumulating a whopping $11,773,000 through three starts this year, Señor Buscador improved his career record to 19: 7-2-3 while banking $12,696,427 overall. In other words, he earned every blade of grass he is consuming at aptly named Peacefield Farm.