Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia // Erika Rasmussen
Senor Buscador Could Skip First Week Of Breeding Season To Run In Saudi Cup
Senor Buscador was set to make his final career start in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 25, 2025, then head off to stud in Kentucky, though negotiations as to exactly where are still ongoing. However, owner/breeder Joey Peacock told the Thoroughbred Daily News that if the 7-year-old exits the Pegasus in good order, a repeat trip to the G1 Saudi Cup on Feb. 22 is not off the table.
"Even though the Saudi Cup Feb. 22 and the start of the breeding season coincide we would only lose like a week,” Peacock told TDN. “The season in Kentucky where we intend on standing him doesn't start until mid-February. So we felt like we can make this happen. He will miss a little bit, but he won't lose any major time at stud. It's possible.”
Adding to the likelihood of such a trip is that jockey Junior Alvarado, who teamed with the horse to win last year's Saudi Cup, has been confirmed for the mount once again.
Last year, Senor Buscador ran second in the Pegasus before rallying to win the Saudi Cup, the biggest win of Peacock and trainer Todd Fincher's careers. He followed that up with a third-place finish in the G1 Dubai World Cup.
For the two overseas races, Senor Buscador was leased by Saudi businessman Sharaf Mohammed S. Al-Hariri. In 2025, Peacock may get to see Senor Buscador sport his own silks in the Saudi Cup, though he added that he's always "open-minded" about business opportunities.
Senor Buscador followed up his international exploits with a fourth-place finish in the G2 Pat O'Brien, then a pair of fifth-place finishes in the G1 California Crown and G1 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Most recently, Senor Buscador finished a disappointing ninth in the G1 Cigar Mile after a bad stumble. However, Peacock says the horse exited that race just fine, and has been training forwardly at Fincher's Sunland Park base in preparation for the Pegasus.
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
