Todd Fincher knows about the desert. His training stable took root during the late 1990s in the high desert of New Mexico, where Fincher began racking up wins at Sunland Park, Albuquerque, and Ruidoso Downs. There’s desert, too, in the best horse Fincher ever has trained, Senor Buscador. The 6-year-old horse is by Mineshaft and out of Rose’s Desert, by Desert God. He’s the last horse bred in partnership by the late Joe Peacock and his son, Joe Peacock Jr.   Fincher, Peacock, and their horse on Saturday found themselves under the bright lights at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, smack in the middle of the Arabian Desert, and there, Senor Buscador, breaking through after two tough losses, won the $20 million Saudi Cup by a head, getting up in the final stride over Ushba Tesoro under a perfect ride from Junior Alvarado.  Fincher’s father was a jockey for 25-odd years and his mother trained. Fincher began his own riding career at age 16 and kept it up until he could no longer make weight, switching to training. He had his best year in 2023 with stable earnings of $5.5 million. Senor Buscador’s share of the massive Saudi Cup purse? Ten million bucks.  :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Fincher was asked in a post-race press conference how he viewed the development of racing in the Middle East over the last several years. The interviewer had the wrong desert.  “Honestly, I haven’t paid that much attention,” said Fincher. “I don’t usually have this kind of horse.”  Senor Buscador was this kind of horse from the start. He won his debut at Remington Park in November 2020 by more than two lengths and came back six weeks later to capture the Springboard Mile there by almost six lengths. Daily Racing Form interviewed Fincher in advance of the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, and Fincher was very bullish on Senor Buscador. The colt finished a flat fifth in the Risen Star on Feb. 13, 2021, and, owing to injury, didn’t race again until July 2022.  “The horse had a lot of trouble early in his career,” Peacock said. “Todd Fincher deserves all the credit. He was so patient.”  Even as a 2-year-old, Senor Buscador showed who he was, coming from last in his first two victories. Things have not changed. Senor Buscador still falls far behind the early leaders, and he has struggled to rally in time to win major American races, especially at 1 1/4 miles. He was set up to win the Cigar Mile, run over one turn on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct, but ran into a speed-biased racing surface and finished a well beaten second behind front-running Hoist the Gold. Hoist the Gold was last in the Saudi Cup, while National Treasure, who beat Senor Buscador by a half-length in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup last month, finished fourth in the Saudi Cup. Senor Buscador swept past both of them with a powerful wide stretch run.   “I wanted him to prove just how good he is, and he did,” said Fincher.   The Saudi Cup, at 1 1/8 miles around one turn with a longer homestretch than any in North America, was made to order for Senor Buscador, whose sustained rally better suits one-turn races than two, and whose ideal distance probably is about 1 1/8 miles. On top of all that, the Saudi Cup was packed with pace, though Saudi Crown wound up making the lead without taking significant pressure.   Meanwhile, Ushba Tesoro jumbled awkwardly out of the starting gate and quickly dropped back to last of 14. Senor Buscador broke better but wound up just inside Ushba Tesoro. The last, indeed, would be first. So far behind the pack raced Senor Buscador that the English-language race announcer didn’t call his name until midstretch. But both he and Ushba Tesoro began creeping into contention around the long bend.   Alvarado gained the mount on Senor Buscador two races ago and had learned his lessons. He kept Senor Buscador along the fence, just inside Ushba Tesoro, and let Ushba Tesoro make the first move. Gearing up for the stretch run, Alvarado steered off the rail, drafting behind Ushba Tesoro, who catapulted toward the quarter pole.  “He wasn’t too happy being inside,” Alvarado said of his mount, “but I let [Ushba Tesoro] go first. When I put him in the clear, I can feel he really starts going after the horses.”  Saudi Crown kept on gamely and still held a clear lead with a furlong to run. Alvarado knew he was coming hard, but Senor Buscador had plenty of work remaining. The wire looming, Ushba Tesoro took the measure of Saudi Crown. He could not contain Senor Buscador.  “I thought I would maybe be third or fourth at the eighth pole. He was all heart going to the wire,” Alvarado said.  Senor Buscador ($28.80) covered the 1,800 meters over a fast-playing surface in a stakes-record 1:49.50. Saudi Crown finished three quarters of a length behind Ushba Tesoro and three quarters in front of National Treasure, who’d stalked the pace. Derma Sotogake, who probably needed the race, finished fifth.  White Abarrio, favored at 6-5 in his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, worked out a favorable stalking trip under Irad Ortiz Jr. after breaking from the rail but came under a ride with three furlongs remaining and checked in a flat 10th.   Fincher won his first Grade 1 race, as did Senor Buscador, running his career mark to 18-7-6-2.   “He ran with the best horses in the world and showed what he can do,” said Fincher.  Senor Buscador, all being well, will go on to the $12 million Dubai World Cup. That March 30 race is contested over 1 1/4 miles around two turns. Doesn’t matter if Senor Buscador fails to get there in time. Saturday, in the middle of the desert, he won the richest race in the world.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.