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| Staff Writer |
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In an exciting finish at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Senor Buscador from the USA managed to edge past Japanese contender Ushba Tesoro to win the prestigious US$20m The Saudi Cup. The local owner Sharaf Mohammed Al Hariri's horse, with joint-owner Joe Peacock Jr, was trained by Todd Fincher in New Mexico.
The runners were neck and neck as the race progressed, with the first two horses lagging behind at the halfway point due to a speed meltdown. Senor Buscador and Ushba Tesoro lagged 10 lengths behind the Saudi Crown, who was leading the pack.
The reigning Dubai World Cup champion, Ushba Tesoro, was the first to make a move in the home stretch, but Senor Buscador kept pushing and managed to take the lead right at the finish line, winning by a head. This was the first Gr. 1 level victory for the horse, who had come second to White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup last month.
Saudi Crown put up a terrific performance, finishing third despite leading the pack and fading towards the end. The winning time of the race was 1:49.50, and the spectators roared in approval when Senor Buscador was declared the winner.
Todd Fincher, trainer, Senor Buscador, 1st, "I’m about to cry, it's amazing. He never got the credit he deserved and he finally got to show it today. I didn't believe it, as something always happens to him in every race. He always has 10 or 11 horses to weave in and out of. We know he was going to run good, we just had to hope for the right set up. It's awesome.
"From New Mexico, we don’t have the quality of horses very often but the stable is getting better now and they treated us great over here. I’m very excited about the opportunity and getting it done is unbelievable. The plan is Dubai but we will leave it up to the horse. He usually doesn’t take long to bounce back and we just need to make sure his physical health is in good shape."
Junior Alvarado, jockey, "We got a bit unlucky the last two races on the track, very fast with speed horses, and I never like to change the style of horses. I always had faith in the horse and we just needed, not even luck, just a fair track and I knew we would get that today. I’m very happy, very grateful for opportunities that come along. I try give my horses the best opportunity. I’m trying to take advantage of every opportunity I get after having some injuries."
Joe Peacock Jr, joint-owner, "The one-turn mile and eighth [1800m] was right up his alley and a track that played fair. We can make excuses for him, he puts himself in that position getting dirt in his face but he sure tries to overcome it every time.
"A couple of weeks before the Pegasus we thought of The Saudi Cup. I was so adamant he would prove himself and he has. This ranks up there. This was big. We were excited about the opportunity. We felt the horse deserved the opportunity. It’s amazing."
Yuga Kawada, jockey, Ushba Teshoro, 2nd, "He was in good form and travelled nicely. He showed his run. The only thing he didn’t do is win."