FROM OFF THE PACE: Saudi Cup: Senor Buscador gets the money

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — With White Abarrio (6-5) accounting for nearly half the win wagering in the 14-horse field, it looked like the Saudi Cup might deliver serious value if the favorite failed to come through. One of many potential value plays was Senor Buscador (13-1)  — that is if he ran back to his heartbreaking neck loss to National Treasure last month in the Pegasus World Cup.

At the top of the endless King Abdulaziz stretch, Senor Buscador still had 10 horses in front of him. Shifted further out by Junior Alvarado, Senor Buscador took off in pursuit of Japan’s Ushba Tesoro, who was flying down the center of the track. The two closers were passing horses but still had leaders Saudi Crown and National Treasure to catch, and it was unclear if there would be enough time. In the final jumps, the two got up to collar Saudi Crown, with Senor Buscador sticking an official head in front of Ushba Tesoro at the wire in as thrilling a horse race as one is likely to see.

“He never got the credit he deserved, and he finally got to show it today,” New Mexico-based trainer Todd Fincher said afterward. “[At first] I didn’t believe it, as something always happens to him in every race. He always has 10 or 11 horses to weave in and out of. We knew he was going to run good. We just had to hope for the right set-up.”

Senor Buscador has covered a lot of ground in his 18 career starts, competing (in addition to Saudi Arabia) at 13 tracks in a dozen states, including southwestern ovals Remington Park, Lone Star, and Sunland Park. Thanks to last weekend’s windfall in petrodollars, the homebred son of Mineshaft has now banked $10,573,000. Senor Buscador was bred by Joe R. Peacock, Jr and his late father and is co-owned by Peacock and Sharaf Mohammed S. Al Hariri, who bought in just in time for the big race.

Fincher said that if all goes well, Senor Buscador could race next in the Dubai World Cup on March 30.

Derby preps:

Dornoch and Locked, two of last year’s more impressive juveniles, make their two-year-old debuts Saturday in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. In the exacta in all four career starts, Dornoch comes off a gutty nose victory over Sierra Leone in the Remsen Stakes (G2) on Dec. 2. The son of Good Magic was flattered when Sierra Leone came back to win the Risen Star two weeks ago. Dornoch has laid down a strong series of regular works at Palm Meadows over the past month and has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite in today’s 8 ½-furlong race.

Second choice Locked (5-2), in the money in all four starts, prevailed by a half-length as the odds-on favorite in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on Oct. 7. The Gun Runner colt followed with a third in the BC Juvenile (G1) as the 2-1 choice and has been breezing steadily at Palm Beach Downs.

Also on the prep schedule on Saturday are the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita and the $300,000 Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct.

Historical Note: It was 35 years ago, in the 1989 Gotham, that Easy Goer ran the fastest mile ever recorded by a three-year-old. The 1:32 2/5 clocking was a fifth of a second off Dr. Fager’s world record set at Washington Park in 1968.