If Senor Buscador is going to be prominent in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by Baccarat Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, look for him in the late stages of the 1 1/8-mile race.

The 7-year-old son of Mineshaft has shown he refuses to be rushed in the early stages of a race, no matter what his trainer, Todd Fincher, or his jockey desire. His deep closing style can be a joy to behold when he gets the pace and the trip he needs.

That was the case when Senor Buscador, the last horse Joey Peacock Jr. bred with his late father, Joe Sr., won the world’s richest race with a tremendous rally in the $20 million Saudi Cup last February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

The flip side of his way of doing things is that he can make a huge run that leaves him just short. That was the case in last year’s Pegasus World Cup, when he came from far back and missed overtaking National Treasure by a neck.

Senor Buscador enters the Pegasus with seven wins, two seconds, and three third-place finishes  from 23 starts and earnings of $12,944,427 as he winds down a career that has taken him far and wide from his New Mexico base. Peacock Jr. has said he would like the horse to make the final start of his career in the Saudi Cup seeking a repeat victory if he produces a solid effort in the Pegasus.

Peacock Jr. reflected on Senor Buscador’s remarkable journey during a question-and-answer session conducted on behalf of America’s Best Racing:

PEDULLA: What has the ride been like with Senor Buscador?

Senor Buscador (Eclipse Sportswire)

PEACOCK: The ride’s been amazing. That’s the only word to describe it. He’s been a horse that’s had talent his entire career, even starting as a 2-year-old. He just had a lot of problems along the way that we had to be patient and work through and it took him a lot longer to recover from that Middle East journey last year than we expected.

PEDULLA: History shows that horses react very differently to such travel.

PEACOCK: He’s such a good traveler that we didn’t think it would really bother him. But it just took him a little longer to get back to form.

PEDULLA: How is he doing now?

PEACOCK: He’s doing well. He’s training great.

PEDULLA: He finished ninth of 10 in the Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by Twinspires.com. Under the circumstances, do you draw a line through that start?

PEACOCK: We thought the horse would run well but, gosh, he stumbled so badly coming out of the gate. I’m just thankful Joel Rosario was able to stay on the horse. I mean he went down and his nose hit the ground. He stumbled badly. We can write that race off. My biggest fear was that he hurt something either going down or getting himself back up. But that does not seem to be the case. He came out of the race fine.

PEDULLA: You had previously said that the Pegasus would be Senor Buscador’s final start. What led you to re-think that?

PEACOCK: His running style. The one-turn, mile-and-an-eighth race [in Riyadh] is a perfect set-up for him. It just fits him so well. Assuming that he’s healthy and he runs well in the Pegasus, we think he deserves another opportunity [in the Saudi Cup].

PEDULLA: Is there any temptation to run him beyond that since he finished a good third in last year’s Dubai World Cup?

PEACOCK: We would not go on to Dubai. We would come back to the U.S. and retire him and get him started on his next career as a stallion.

PEDULLA: I know you would like to stand him in Kentucky and have been talking to various farms. Where do things stand?

Senor Buscador preparing for 2024 Breeders' Cup (Eclipse Sportswire)

PEACOCK: We don’t have a deal yet. We’re confident we will get there.

PEDULLA: I know you have been buying mares specifically to send to him. May I ask you to discuss that?

PEACOCK: I bought eight and I already had another that we can breed to him which would make nine. My target, more is less, is 15.

PEDULLA: Why do you believe in him as a stallion?

PEACOCK: I give a lot of credit to our bloodlines. Rose’s Desert, Senor’s mama, every single horse she had to this point has been a fantastic racehorse so I have confidence in the bottom side. If you look at the top side, Mineshaft was a very, very useful sire, maybe not an elite sire. And if you go past Mineshaft to A.P. Indy, now you’re talking really superior bloodlines.

PEDULLA: He benefitted from a very strong pace in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic last November at Del Mar and finished fifth. Was that disappointing?

PEACOCK: I wouldn’t say it was a disappointment. He beat nine really good horses. He couldn’t catch the other four and those horses are the best horses on the planet. In hindsight, I would say he wasn’t 100% fit following the layoff we gave him after the Middle East tour. He came back with a 103 Beyer [Speed figure]. That’s not a bad outing.

PEDULLA: Your father and now you stayed loyal to trainer Todd Fincher through the years. Why is that relationship so strong?

Peacock, left, with Fincher, center

PEACOCK: Todd trained Rose’s Desert, Senor’s mama. That was the very first horse he trained for our family. Since then, he’s trained every Thoroughbred racehorse we’ve had that’s gone to the racetrack. I just have total confidence in Todd. He’s honest. He tells it like it is. He doesn’t take chances with the horses. If they need time off, they need time off. If they have an injury, they have an injury. If it comes at an inconvenient time, that’s just too bad. Every decision he makes is in the best interests of the horse. I trust him implicitly.

PEDULLA: Since you live in Texas, how does it affect your operation to have it based with Todd in New Mexico?

PEACOCK: If you’re running at the higher level, which we want to do, it definitely works against you because you’ve got to travel. Most people will tell you they would rather run races out of their home stable than travel. But there’s a tradeoff and I’m happy with the tradeoff because we get Todd with his eyes on our horses every day, and that’s more important to me than trying to overcome the travel burden.

PEDULLA: Are there any advantages beyond Todd?

PEACOCK: When you’re getting young horses started, you start them off and they are not running against as stiff competition. That helps build their confidence level and it helps you to assess whether they are capable of competing at the bigger venues.

PEDULLA: Does last year’s Pegasus give you confidence coming into this year?

Senor Buscador came up just short in 2024 Pegasus. (Eclipse Sportswire)

PEACOCK: He ran a great race. He lost by a neck to National Treasure, who is a finalist for an Eclipse Award. If it had been a little bit farther, he might have gotten there. Who knows? But it was a very exciting race.

PEDULLA: How do you handle such a tough beat?

PEACOCK: It’s tough to get beat by a neck in a race that big, but that’s horse racing.

PEDULLA: As Senor Buscador’s career nears an end, how much do you think of your father and the role he played with this horse?

PEACOCK: I think about it all the time. It makes it really special not only for me but for my whole family. Senor Buscador is a third-generation homebred for us. My father started the bloodline we’re racing today back in the ’80s. It makes it very special.