Senor Buscador turns on overdrive to go from last to first in Springboard Mile

Senor Buscador had the look of potentially something special when taking his stakes debut  in the $200,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park on Friday night.

Breaking slow and trailing the field through the opening half-mile by at least a dozen lengths, the second-time starter then proceeded to turn in a sustained rally into contention, circled the field and drew off late with authority to win by 5 3/4 lengths under Luis Quinonez.

"He broke bad, but that was good because he settled down on the backstretch," Quinonez said. "On the turn for home, I thought, 'Oh my God, what a horse I have.' It feels like he can go farther."

Well backed from his starting 15-1 morning line price, Senor Buscador paid $9.80 as the third choice in a field of 10 after completing one lap of Remington's fast track in 1:37.87. Trained by Todd Fincher, Senor Buscador is owned by Joe Peacock Jr., who bred the colt in partnership with his father in Kentucky.

Rallying from midpack for second in the Springboard Mile was second choice Cowan, who finished 2 3/4 lengths clear of 30-1 shot Red N Wild. The order of finish was rounded out by Saffa's Day, 7-5 favorite Outadore, Joe Frazier, Vim and Vigor, Number One Dude, Flash of Mischief, and Gushing Oil.

Although a 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby series prep, only one of the top four finishers in the Springboard Mile earned qualifying points due to a new rule implemented by Churchill Downs that restricts Derby qualifying points to horses that race without Lasix in prep races. Of the top four, only runner-up Cowan competed without Lasix Friday evening and thus earned four points.

Senor Buscador turned in a similar last-to-first rally to win his debut at Remington by 2 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs on Nov. 6. He's now earned $137,247.

"The first time he won, he really didn't know what he was doing or what was going on," Fincher said. "He was really ornery in the post parade. But he was impressive in that race even though he sure doesn't like breaking from the gate.

"We'll see how he comes back tomorrow and then take him to Houston and possibly on to the Fair Grounds for their stakes schedule," Fincher added. "We do what's best for the horse. That's my responsibility. So we'll see."

By Mineshaft and out of the multiple stakes-winning New Mexico-bred Rose's Desert, by Desert God, Senor Buscador is a half-brother to Sunland Derby (G3) hero Runaway Ghost and to stakes winner Sheriff Brown.