Talamo gets his chance; will take over on Senor Buscador

Senor Buscador, winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup in February, will have a new rider when he starts for the first time since March in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 24.

Joe Talamo has been working Senor Buscador in recent months, and will replace Junior Alvarado. Trainer Todd Fincher said on Friday that Alvarado has obligations at Saratoga on Aug. 24, a day with five Grade 1 stakes at that track including the Travers Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Fincher said Talamo’s assistance in working Senor Buscador was the reason he was given the mount.

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“The people that help us out, we try to help out,” Fincher said.

Owned by Joe Peacock Jr., Senor Buscador has not raced since he finished a well-beaten third in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 30. The Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia was Senor Buscador’s fifth career stakes win.

On Friday at Del Mar, Senor Buscador zipped through five furlongs in 59.20 seconds under Talamo.

“He’s not a very good work horse,” Fincher said. “He worked outstanding. I think he’s ready.”

Talamo has worked Senor Buscador since the 6-year-old horse resumed training in late spring.

“His record speaks for itself,” Talamo said. “He’s one of the top older horses in the country.

“I know he hasn’t run since Dubai. He’s had time off and he couldn’t be training better. I feel like on his best day he can run with anybody.”

For Talamo, the mount on Senor Buscador is a chance for a major stakes win since his return to California from the Midwest earlier this summer. Through Thursday, Talamo has ridden three stakes at the current Del Mar meeting, including a third aboard the Fincher-trained Flying Connection in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes for fillies and mares on Aug. 3. Through Thursday, Talamo, 34, had won five races from 41 mounts at the current meeting, which began on July 20.

Senor Buscador is expected to face a stern test in the $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes. The list of expected runners includes The Chosen Vron, who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs in his most recent start on July 27.

Fincher said recently that he hopes to use the Pat O’Brien Stakes as the start of a late summer and fall campaign that will include the Grade 1 California Crown at Santa Anita on Sept. 28 and the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Senor Buscador was seventh in the 2023 BC Classic at Santa Anita.

In January, Senor Buscador finished second by a neck to National Treasure in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

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