Buchu Victorious in Return at Age 3 in Appalachian

Rigney Racing's Buchu  notched a second graded stakes win at Keeneland by scoring in the $386,888 Appalachian Stakes (G2T) over Mo Fox Givin , Dancing N Dixie  in the mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies April 6.

The daughter of Justify   previously won the Oct. 6 Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at the Lexington oval before running sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 in her final start at age 2.

Making her first start of the season Saturday, Buchu fell back as seventh and stayed there for the first half-mile of the race. However, Buchu was able to advance over the second half of the stretch under jockey Martin Garcia. She took command in midstretch and outlasted late-running longshot Mo Fox Givin by a half-length. Dancing N Dixie closed from last to finish a neck back in third.

The winner raced a mile in 1:36.36 following splits of :22.88, :47.25, and 1:12.37 set by Poolside With Slim , who would fade to fifth. The winner returned $15.04 to win.

Garcia said he his mount get comfortable and "she relaxed, and when I asked her to go, she just kicked in. It looked like they were going to go by her but she was just waiting for company."

Buchu's victory in the Appalachian also served as an important reminder to appreciate every moment of life, which as his connections know all too well, can be perilous. In January, owner-breeders Richard and Tammy Rigney, trainer Phil Bauer, and bloodstock agent John Moynihan, and their families were aboard a private plane that crashed near Lizard Island, Australia.

All survived. Most were uninjured, though Richard Rigney needed stitches to heal lacerations on a hand and on the back of his head.

"We kind of somersaulted two of three times," Richard Rigney said of the plane crash. "My 14-year-old daughter was with us. There were only super close people in my life that were there with us. We were so fortunate. I was the only guy that got hurt."

"At the end of the day you wake up, and you are just blessed to be alive, so you kind of keep marching forward," Bauer added. "We are just grateful to be back here in the winner's circle, and life continues."

Buchu, bred in Kentucky by her owner out of the Galileo  mare Flowering Peach , is a 3-year-old daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify  .

Buchu is among numerous talented 3-year-olds sired by Justify, a group that includes Kentucky Derby (G1) prospect Just Steel  and Kentucky Oaks (G1) prospect Just F. Y. I., the champion juvenile filly of last year. Justify stands for a private fee at Ashford Stud in Central Kentucky.