Stud plans announced for Breeders' Cup-bound Bucchero

Pleasant Acres Stallions on Monday announced that Bucchero – the repeat winner of the Grade 2, $200,000 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland ­– ­will stand in Florida for the 2019 breeding season with a $5,000 fee. Bucchero is the first son of rising star Kantharos to enter stud with his next start the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.

“We could not be more excited to have Bucchero join our expanding stallion roster for 2019,” said Joe Barbazon, owner of Pleasant Acres Stallions. “Kantharos was a very successful stallion in Florida. The opportunity to offer his son to the many breeders in Florida, who were successful with his sire, is exciting! Pleasant Acres Farm and Bucchero’s ownership will be supporting him with some of our best mares.”

Bucchero bears a striking resemblance to Hill ‘n Dale Farm’s rising star Kantharos, whose 2019 fee was just increased to $20,000. Kantharos has produced more than 70 percent winners from five crops of racing age – 155 winners to date from 220 starters. His progeny includes 16 stakes winners, four at the graded level, including Bucchero and Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender X Y Jet. Kantharos is also sire of World of Trouble, a three-time stakes-winning and graded-stakes placed 3-year-old who is out of a Valid Expectations half-sister to Bucchero, Meets Expectations. She is also the dam of a full brother to World of Trouble that sold at the recent September Keeneland Sale for $285,000.

With a record of 11-6-3 in 30 starts through four seasons, Bucchero has career earnings of $937,936 to date. He is currently the richest Indiana-bred to have raced. Bucchero has won stakes long (1 1/16 miles) and short (six furlongs) on dirt, 5 ½ furlongs on turf and has been stakes-placed on a synthetic surface. Throughout his career he defeated 20 different graded stakes winners including Grade 1 winners Lady Aurelia, Marsha, Breeders’ Cup Champion Mongolian Saturday, and Undrafted as well as Grade 2 and Grade 3 winners including Disco Partner (world record holder), Pure Sensation, Hogy, and Holding Gold.

Trained by Tim Glyshaw and Michael Trombetta, Bucchero was bred in Florida, but foaled in Indiana by Southern Chase Farm. He is raced by Ironhorse Racing Stable, LLC.  As a precocious 2-year-old, Bucchero made his career debut in the Hillsdale Stakes (Black Type), where he finished second, before graduating in his next start by a dominating six lengths. The effort earned him both a 4 Thorograph number and the confidence of trainer Michael Trombetta to nominate him for the Triple Crown. While a minor setback took him out of his spring campaign, Bucchero returned in the summer and finished his 3-year-old season with a victory against older horses in the $150,000 To Much Coffee Stakes at Indiana Grand. In his 4-year-old campaign he added the six-furlong Brickyard Stakes – winning by 7 ½ lengths and stopping the clock at 1:08.77 – before stretching out again to successfully defend his title in the To Much Coffee Stakes.

As a small ownership group, Ironhorse Racing Stable focused mainly on the Indiana incentive program during his 3- and 4-year-old career. However, Bucchero’s 5-year-old campaign was expanded to open stakes nationally where he earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the Sen. Robert Byrd Memorial Stakes before stunning the Keeneland faithful with first place in the 2017 Grade 2 Woodford Stakes – earning a ticket to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Bucchero firmly stamped himself as a top US, and eventually world-class, turf sprinter with a gallant fourth-place effort, beaten by a length.

The flashy chestnut continues to display the uncommon ability and durability to retain top-class form into his 6-year-old campaign where he was second in Keeneland’s Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes this past April, and a troubled third in the Grade 3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs. Bucchero was subsequently invited to compete against some of the worlds’ best turf sprinters at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes racing on a straight course without Lasix, Bucchero finished an inch from fourth, beaten by European stars and Group 1 winners Blue Point, Battaash, and Mabs Cross while defeating the champion Lady Aurelia for the second time in two meetings. In his most recent effort, Bucchero defended his Woodford title, winning as the favorite, and becoming the first horse to take the Woodford back-to-back as a Grade 2 race.

“Bucchero has been sound throughout his entire career and is training as well now as he has ever been and we are very optimistic about his chances in the Breeders’ Cup,” Glyshaw commented. “He is as game a horse as I have ever trained. He has everything you want in a horse – speed, versatility, durability, and most importantly – heart.”

Bucchero will join stallions Amira’s Prince, Beau Choix, Handsome Mike, Neolithic, Ride On Curlin, and Treasure Beach at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala. Pleasant Acres Stallions has received many accolades for excellence, including 2017 DRF Florida-bred Beyer Award, 2009 Florida Breeder of the Year, 2009 Florida Broodmare of the Year, Breeder of the 2009 Florida Horse of the Year, and was ranked third in the nation for leading breeders in 2009 by average earnings per starter with 10 or more starters.

For more information about Bucchero, visit his website at www.buccherostallion.com to view a thorough multimedia recap of his career. For more information on Pleasant Acres Stallions, visit www.pleasantacresstallions.com, or email christine@pleasantacresstallions.com. Pleasant Acres Stallions is located at 2153 S.E. HWY-41, Morriston, Florida 32668. Owners: Joe Barbazon and Helen Barbazon.