Time and time again, whether it be sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs or routing 1 1/16 miles, Senor Buscador has shown he can close, and close well, with the ideal race set up. In the July 29 $300,000 San Diego Handicap, just one of three Del Mar stakes he was nominated for that weekend, the Grade 2 race unfolded perfectly for the son of Mineshaft as he rallied to a 1 1/4-length victory. 

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“We nominated to the Bing Crosby, this, and the Eddie Read,” trainer Todd Fincher said. “This horse is super talented — the most talented horse I’ve ever trained, but he has his quirks, he needs a setup.”

Strolling out of the gate under Geovanni Franco, who was aboard the bay for the first time since breezing the 5-year-old at Churchill Downs last fall ahead of his Ack Ack Stakes triumph, Senor Buscador took up residence at the back of the nine-horse field.

California-bred star sprinter Brickyard Ride, attempting to stretch his speed to 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, rolled on the front end, throwing down early splits of :23.03, :46.30, and 1:10.36. Heavy favorite Defunded was set to a drive around the far turn and was scrambling to make headway into the pacesetter’s advantage as the field wheeled for home. Only Slow Down Andy, making his second start of the year for trainer Doug O’Neill, appeared to threaten Brickyard Ride, overtaking the front-runner in midstretch before Senor Buscador swooped past late down the center of the track.

Senor Buscador ($29), facing trouble in his last two prior starts, had no trouble in the San Diego, parlaying a five-wide run around the bend into an authoritative score in a final time of 1:42.54 on a fast main track.

Senor Buscador rallying to victory (Eclipse Sportswire)

“He’s had so many setbacks, so much bad luck,” said Joseph Peacock of his homebred Senor Buscador. “And we were just very patient with him because he has a ton of talent and we just knew eventually he would show up on the right day and it looks like today was one of those.”

Slow Down Andy and Brickyard Ride completed the trifecta while Hollywood Gold Cup hero Defunded could only manage fourth.

Senor Buscador, bred by Peacock and his father Joe Peacock Sr. in Kentucky, is one of four stakes winners produced from the Desert Gold mare Rose’s Desert. The New Mexico-bred mare was a multiple stakes winner and earner of $626,035 for Peacock Sr. and Fincher.

Earning his second graded win in the San Diego and his second tally of the year, Senor Buscador improved his record to six wins from 12 starts with a bankroll of $667,427.

Eighth in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year, a return trip to the event, this year at Santa Anita Park, could be in the cards for the improving Senor Buscador.

The Chosen Vron Battles to Bing Crosby Victory

The Chosen Vron, inside, winning Bing Crosby. (Eclipse Sportswire)

The Chosen Vron, coming off seven straight victories against California-bred stakes competition, earned a Grade 1 win against the very best of the West Coast sprint division by digging deep to come out on top of a three-way photo finish with Anarchist and Dr. Schivel in the $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.

The winner earned a fees-paid berth to the Nov. 4 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park via the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Favored Dr. Schivel, the 2021 Bing Crosby winner and Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up, last seen finishing fifth to Cody’s Wish in the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap, went widest into the stretch while The Chosen Vron, with Hector Berrios up, slipped inside off the turn and won closest to the rail.

The Chosen Vron, a 5-year-old gelding by Vronsky, paid $11. Eric Kruljac trains the Chosen Vron and co-owns him in partnership with Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin, and Richard Thornburgh.  

As talented and deep as the West Coast sprinters tend to be, the last Bing Crosby winner to take the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in the same year was Kona Gold in 2000.—Tracy Gantz