Senor Buscador wins the San Diego Handicap (G2) July 29 at Del Mar (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Trainer Todd Fincher is hopeful that Joe Peacock Jr.’s Senor Buscador will enjoy somewhat of a ‘homecourt’ edge in Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat at Gulfstream Park.
The multiple graded-stakes winner is one of the most well-traveled entrants in the 1 1/8-mile headliner on Saturday’s program with seven graded-stakes, including the $1 million I/ST BET Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational. Despite having campaigned at 10 racetracks during his 16-race career the New Mexico-based trainer’s stable star certainly will be familiar with his surroundings when he steps onto the Gulfstream Park racetrack Saturday.
Senor Buscador has been on the Gulfstream Park grounds after being shipped directly from Aqueduct following a second-place finish in the Dec. 2 Cigar Mile.
“I like them to feel at home – get to a place and let them settle in.,” Fincher said. “I like to paddock school them a bunch. It’s good that he’s there and settled in. He travels well, but I just like them to feel at home.”
The 6-year-old son of Mineshaft has breezed four times over Gulfstream Park’s main track, over which he will face 11 others in a field of older horses, headed by Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure.
Senor Buscador, who was prepared for his debut at Sunland Park, had to hit the road early in his career.
“We knew how good he was. The problem was the pandemic kind of bit us with tracks closing down. He was ready to run in October and couldn’t get him in a race,” Fincher said. “Sunland always has a nice series for 2-year-old colts and fillies that lead up to the Kentucky Derby preps, but they were shut down and we had to take him on the road.”
Senor Buscador adapted nicely to Remington Park’s surface, scoring a 2 ¼-length maiden special weight win Nov. 6, 2020 before capturing the $200,000 Springboard Mile.
“When I shipped him to Remington to run, I wanted to run him further, but all they had was a 5 ½. He showed us speed that day,” Fincher said. “He’s just a very talented horse.”
The veteran campaigner has won six races, including the 2022 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs and the 2023 San Diego (G2) at Del Mar, and has amassed earnings of $923,000. He has achieved success with a drop-back, late-kick running style he demonstrated while closing from 12th and last to second behind fellow Pegasus entrant Hoist the Gold in the Cigar Mile/
“He just does things on his own. He just breaks and backs out of it. Riders have tried to force him up in there, and he won’t do it,” Fincher said. “The only time he lay kind of close was in the Ack Ack at Churchill. Other than that, he likes to let them go and then jump into the race 12 lengths behind. I don’t know why he does that but that’s what he’s aways done.”
Junior Alvarado, who rode Senor Buscador for the first time in the Cigar Mile, has the return mount Saturday.
