Senor Buscador goes last to first in Springboard Mile

Senor Buscador was a dominant winner of the $200,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park in just his second career start Friday night, when he closed from last for a 5 3/4-length victory over Cowan.

Red N Wild finished another 3 3/4 lengths back in third, while it was another nose to Saffa’s Day in fourth.

The Springboard Mile offered Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the first four finishers Friday on a sliding scale of 10-4-2-1, but only Cowan was eligible for those points as he did not race on Lasix. The others in the top four raced on the diuretic Friday, according to the chart of the Springboard Mile.

Horses in Kentucky Derby points races who compete in those races on Lasix are not eligible for qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, according to an official with Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby will be run Lasix-free for the first time in 2021. Cowan earned four points from the Springboard Mile.

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Senor Buscador ($9.80) broke last from the rail Friday and trailed early in the 10-horse field as Flash of Mischief set fractions of 23.52 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.22 for the half-mile and 1:12.51 for six furlongs. Senor Buscador advanced, angled out into the stretch, and roared home, covering the mile on a fast track in 1:37.87.

Luis Quinonez was aboard Senor Buscador for Joe Peacock Jr., who bred the son of Mineshaft with Joe Peacock Sr. The horse is a half-brother to Runaway Ghost, who won the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby but was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to an injury leading up to the classic.

“This one might be better,” trainer Todd Fincher said in a post-race interview broadcast by Remington. “Who knows?”

Fincher trained Runaway Ghost, a multiple stakes winner of nearly $800,000, for the Peacocks. He also trains Senor Buscador, who entered the Springboard Mile off a debut win in a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs on Nov. 6 at Remington. The horse shipped in for that race from his base at Zia Park.

“He was pretty impressive his first race,” said Fincher.

Senor Buscador proceeded to handle the two-turn mile Friday.

“He can go longer, too,” Quinonez said in a post-race interview broadcast by Remington. “He’s a nice horse.”

Senor Buscador picked up $120,000 for the win to push his earnings to $137,247. He’s now one of three stakes winners produced by Rose’s Desert, a multiple stakes winner of $626,035 owned by the Peacocks and trained by Fincher. The other stakes winner from the mare is Sheriff Brown.

The remaining order of finish in the Springboard Mile was favorite Outadore in fifth, followed by Joe Frazier, Vim and Vigor, Number One Dude, Flash of Mischief, and Gushing Oil. Outside of Cowan, Gushing Oil was the only other horse in the field who did not race on Lasix, according to the chart. Game Day Play was scratched.

The Springboard Mile was run on a 13-race card that featured six stakes. Remington handled more than $3 million on the card, according to charts.

Fincher is based in New Mexico and this winter plans to have a division of horses at Sam Houston for the first time. The meet at Sunland Park in New Mexico has been delayed at least a month due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was to have started in late December.

Cowan came into the Springboard Mile off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He is a son of Kantharos who races for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables and Spendthrift Farm. He is trained by Steve Asmussen.

Racing resumes Saturday at Remington. The meet closes Tuesday.