Senor Buscador Circles Field In Springboard Mile

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Joe Peacock homebred Senor Buscador waited at the back before circling the field and driving home to a sharp score in Friday’s $200,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.

Senor Buscador – bet down from his 15/1 morning line to 7/2 co-second choice – broke a bit slowly from the rail under Luis Quinonez and settled at the rear.

Flash of Mischief set the pace while the 7/5 favorite Outadore gave closest chase through opening fractions of :23.52, :47.22, and 1:12.51.

Given the green light heading into the far turn, Senor Buscador tipped out three-wide and began making serious headway, so much so that he straightened for home within range of new leader Joe Frazier.

Striding away powerfully in the stretch, the Todd Fincher trainee crossed 5 3/4 lengths clear at the wire, completing the fast dirt mile route in 1:37.87.

“He broke bad, but that was good because he settled down on the backstretch,” Quinonez said. “On the turn for home, I thought, ‘Oh my God, what a horse I have.’ It feels like he can go farther.”

Cowan took second by 3 3/4 lengths over Red N Wild, who nosed out Saffa’s Day for third.

Outadore, Joe Frazier, Vim and Vigor, Number One Dude, Flash of Mischief, and Gushing Oil completed the order of finish.

Game Day Play was scratched from the race restricted to juveniles.

The Springboard Mile is part of the Road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby prep race season. Senor Buscador would have earned 10 points for the win, with Cowan receiving 4 for second, Red N Wild 2 for third, and Saffa’s Day 1 for fourth. However, since Senor Buscador, Red N Wild, and Saffa’s Day all raced with Lasix, they were ineligible to receive the points, per Churchill Downs.

Senor Buscador’s win was his second straight following a similar last-to-first score while making his debut in a local 5 1/2-furlong dash. The Mineshaft colt is a half-brother to the 2018 Sunland Derby (G3) winner Runaway Ghost.

“The first time he won, he really didn’t know what he was doing or what was going on,” said Fincher, who indicated that Sam Houston and Fair Grounds were two possibly destinations for his continued training. “He was really ornery in the post parade, but he was impressive in that race even though he sure doesn’t like breaking from the gate.”

Senor Buscador returned $9.80 to win, $5.80 to place, and $4.60 to show. Cowan brought back $4.60 to place and $4.20 to show, while Red N Wild paid $9.40 to show.