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| Staff Writer |
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Todd Fincher is fast becoming one of America’s most prominent trainers. Having built his stable operation from the ‘ground up’, Fincher has trained over 1,000 winners and won over US$44 million in prize money.
With a string of talented horses at his disposal, his stable star is Senor Buscador.
Twice a graded winner, he almost made his Group One breakthrough when finishing a narrow second in the 2024 Pegasus World Cup.
As a result of his fine second-place finish in the Pegasus, Senor Buscador has received an invitation to the world’s richest horse race, the Gr.1 Saudi Cup.
The lightly raced 6YO son of Mineshaft will take his place in the lineup, aiming to become only the second American horse to claim the lucrative prize and become the country’s first winner since Maximum Security won the first edition of the race in 2020.
The Saudi Cup is the richest race in the history of the sport. Worth a staggering US$20 million, the race attracts some of the best horses and trainers from all over the world, including America, Great Britain, Europe and Japan.
While some in the race have been bred for moments like this, it’s fair to say that Senor Buscador has had to earn his spot. Now five, he seems to be getting better with age, and a first Gr.1 victory looks to be just around the corner.
Although some of his rivals are more than used to racing on foreign soil, this will be Fincher’s first-ever runner in the race and Senor Buscador’s first run outside of America.
Owned by Joe Peacock Jr, Peacock and Fincher have a relationship that has spanned years, and Senor Buscador’s presence in the world’s most valuable race is a just reward for the pair’s hard work and determination.
The relationship started when Peacock handed Fincher a mare, Rose’s Desert. A winner of ten of her fifteen career starts, she was subsequently retired, and every foal she has gone onto produce has ended up in the care of Fincher, including Senor Buscador.
Fincher is keen to ensure that any praise he receives is given to those around him and credits his rise “to great owners, great help and of course talented horses”.
Fincher is bullish about his star’s chances when talking about the Saudi Cup. Despite receiving the invite for the race, the Saudi Cup has always been on the radar, with Fincher stating, “We already had our eyes on the Saudi Cup, but when we received our invitation, we accepted it immediately.”
Fincher was so keen to snap up the invitation because, despite Senor Buscador’s heroics in the Pegasus, he believed that the best could be yet to come. “We like the set-up of the Saudi Cup better than the Pegasus: a oneturn mile and eighth is better for him than a mile and an eighth with two, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Fincher has every reason to be optimistic as despite his recent hard race in the Pegasus, Senor Buscador seems to have come out of the race in tremendous heart, with Fincher stating that, “He came out of the race well, he came out the next day feeling great, he had great energy and the look in his eye was what you wanted to see, he’s telling us he’s ready to go back.”
It’s clear that after such a promising performance in the Pegasus, Fincher is keen to build on that brilliant effort. Yet to land a blow in Group One competition, The winner of the Gr.1 Awesome Again Stakes came ever so close to landing a first Group One contest for the stable. Despite the near miss, Fincher wouldn’t change a thing if he could do it again.
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“Everything went as planned. The logistics of the race could have been different and helped us out, but he got one of the best trips he’s had in his last six races. We have no excuses; he ran a great race, he was gaining on the leader, and they beat the field by quite a distance, so that shows you the talent level of those two horses.”
Seemingly likely to stick to the same race plan and do his best work late, both Fincher and Senor Buscador will have the chance to exact revenge in the Saudi Cup as the horse that beat them in the Pegasus, National Treasure will also be on hand and will be trying to claim one of racing’s biggest prizes.
Despite this being his first-ever trip out of the country, Fincher holds no fears as to how his star horse will be able to handle it.
Speaking fondly of a horse that has given him so much, it appears Senor Buscador is an absolute dream to train. “He’s one of these horses that has a great personality. He goes out on the track with no problem, trains great, he’s just been a real pleasure to be around. However, when you load him up in the gates, he brings it.”
With so many international challengers, form can often go out of the window in a race like this, and what can often be a huge determining factor is how a horse settles into their new surroundings. But that holds no fears for Fincher.
“He’s travelled a lot of places, he’s raced at eleven different tracks in his seventeen starts, he’s always travelled well, and I don’t think he will understand that he’s in a different country.
I think he’ll do just fine.”
His ability to adapt to his new surroundings could be what helps Senor Buscador on race day. Now aged six, it’s no secret that he is producing career-best performances. Despite a rough start to his career, it seemed that Fincher believed that he was always capable of reaching the top.
“When he was young, he had a bunch of minor problems, and we had to be very patient with him. However, it seems to have paid off.”
The prospect of racing in the Middle East is definitely an exciting one for Fincher and his team. Depending on how the Saudi Cup pans out, there is a slim chance that Senor Buscador could stay on for the Dubai World Cup. However, it’s more likely that he will return to the U.S. and be aimed at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
While those may seem like lofty goals, Fincher has no doubts that Senor Buscador belongs on the most significant stage.
“We are travelling to the Middle East as they are bringing the best horses in the world and are putting up a huge purse. Wherever they want them to meet, we will try and meet up with them.”
Despite his burgeoning reputation, winning the Saudi Cup would take Fincher to even greater heights.
Although he is reluctant to provide any names, he has around five 2YOs who could see competitive action at some point in the upcoming year. Seemingly able to bring the best out of his horses, you can be guaranteed that a few of them could be special.
For now, though, it remains Senor Buscador, who is blazing the trail for Fincher and his barn. Travelling to Saudi Arabia on the back of a brilliant run, the exciting new venture should hold no fears. A solid, tough and dependable horse,the Saudi Cup could be very special for Fincher and his lovable star.
By Dean McHugh