Senor Buscador Earns First Graded Stakes Win in Ack Ack
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Photo: Coady Photography
Senor Buscador takes the Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs
After racing off a hot pace early, Senor Buscador rallied three wide in the far turn to take command and then held off a determined stretch challenge from Injunction to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the $300,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) Oct. 1 at Churchill Downs.
With Saturday's effort, the lightly raced 4-year-old son of Mineshaft secured his first graded stakes win. Additionally, with the Ack Ack part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, he earned an automatic, paid berth in the Nov. 5 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.
As a juvenile, Senor Buscador won the 2020 Remington Springboard Mile in his second career start but, derailed by ankle injury, was only able to race once in 2021. This season Senor Buscador has put some starts together, for trainer Todd Fincher and owner Joe "Joey" Peacock Jr., who bred Senor Buscador with his late father Joe Sr.
Watch: Owner Peacock's Patience With Senor Buscador Rewarded
In his third start of the 2022 season, Senor Buscador earned his first graded-stakes placing in the Aug. 27 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, and he built on that effort with Saturday's win. Fincher was thrilled to see the colt put it all together.
"He worked really well over this track the other week so we were confident he'd run a big effort," Fincher said. "He's shipped well in the past and handled it well coming here to Kentucky. He showed his talent today. We knew he was a talented horse by the way he won the Springboard Mile in 2020, and he's now maturing, and I think is coming into his own."
After breaking outward from the outside post in the field of eight 3-year-olds and older horses, Senor Buscador raced sixth early under Francisco Arrieta as longshot Surly Furious raced inside through a quarter-mile in :22.91. That one would continue well into the stretch before fading to fourth when passed by the eventual winner.
"I was able to get him into a really good rhythm down the backside," Arrieta said. "He was traveling in a good position behind the speed in front of us. In the stretch he showed a lot of fight to him. It's really exciting to win a race like this, and I'm so thankful for Joey and Todd for letting me ride him."
Senor Buscador completed the one-turn mile in 1:34.60, paying $14.36 for a $2 win wager. He was followed home by Injunction, who launched a serious challenge inside of the eventual winner in the stretch before settling for second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Three Technique . Tracking Surly Furious early and finding himself boxed in during the turn, 7-5 favorite Speaker's Corner did not look comfortable racing inside when between horses down the backstretch and finished seventh under Junior Alvarado.
"Junior said he couldn't quite make the lead and really didn't handle the trip well when he got behind (Surly Furious) who ended up getting the early advantage," said Speaker Corner's trainer, Bill Mott.
Senor Buscador is a homebred out of the Desert God mare Rose's Desert , a multiple stakes winner when she raced in New Mexico who also has enjoyed success as a broodmare. Senor Buscador is a half brother to 2018 Sunland Derby (G3) winner Runaway Ghost , as well as multiple stakes winner Sheriff Brown and stakes winner Our Iris Rose .