Senor Buscador may venture down Kentucky Derby Road

Senor Buscador is being pointed to a Kentucky Derby prep race following his commanding win in Friday night’s $200,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.

The horse roared to a 5 3/4-length victory over Cowan, covering the mile for 2-year-olds in 1:37.87. For the effort, Senor Buscador earned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 93.

The morning after his race, trainer Todd Fincher was traveling with Senor Buscador.

“I’m driving down the road listening to Christmas music,” Fincher said Saturday. “He’s in the trailer behind me. We’re going to Houston.”

Fincher has 24 stalls at Sam Houston Race Park for the meet that opens in January. The trainer, who is based in New Mexico, said he and owner Joe Peacock Jr. will be mapping out a gameplan for Senor Buscador.

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“We’ve got to start looking at Derby preps,” he said. “Everything’s on the table.”

Fincher said that includes Kentucky Derby points races at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park.

The Springboard Mile offered Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the first four finishers Friday on a scale of 10-4-2-1, but only Cowan was eligible for those points as he did not race on Lasix. The Kentucky Derby will be run Lasix-free for the first time in 2021 and horses in points races who race on Lasix in those events are not eligible for Kentucky Derby points, according to an official with Churchill Downs. Cowan earned four points from the Springboard Mile.

Fincher said it was a deliberate decision to keep Senor Buscador on Lasix for the Springboard Mile as the horse was stretching out from a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight win in his career debut Nov. 6 at Remington.

“It was a big stretch-out,” Fincher said. “It was precautionary.”

Fincher said Senor Buscador would come off Lasix for any future Kentucky Derby prep race.

Senor Buscador is a homebred for Peacock. The son of Mineshaft is a half-brother to both Runaway Ghost, winner of the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby, and Sheriff Brown, a stakes winner now stabled at Sam Houston for Fincher and Peacock. Runaway Ghost has been retired, Fincher said, and is set to enter stud in New Mexico.

“His little brother is making him look good,” Fincher said.

Senor Buscador is a May foal and that played into his November debut, Fincher said.

“He’s a big, strong colt,” he said. “We let him grow into himself.”

Senor Buscador on Friday closed from last to first under jockey Luis Quinonez. Fincher liked the all-around composure the horse showed in his second career start in the Springboard Mile.

“He was way more professional in the paddock and post parade,” he said. “He was more focused. He knew what was going on.”