BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Tom and Kathy Lamont’s Happy Tenth Stable saw their Florida-bred star Buccherino deliver on high expectations and remain unbeaten in two starts this year, winning the $100,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park as the 4-5 favorite.

Breaking from the outside post six with Paco Lopez aboard, Buccherino sat confidently to the outside of Gulfstream Park Sprint-winner Super Chow for the run down the backstretch in the six-furlong contest with Florida-bred Dean Delivers, winner of last year’s Mr. Prospector, two lengths off them in third.

Lopez sent Buccherino past a tenacious Super Chow midway on the turn but could not shake free at the top of the stretch as Dean Delivers tried to make up ground on the outside and Subrogate began closing in on the rail.

Buccherino cleared his rivals inside the eighth pole to win by a length ahead of Subrogate in second with Dean Delivers a half-length farther back in third. Super Chow, Latta and My Handsome Man followed in that order.

Buccherino stopped the clock in 1:09.47 and paid $3.60 to win.

 

Trained by Alfredo Velazquez, Buccherino was making his second start off an eight-month layoff after winning an upper level, $100,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Parx Racing on May 5. After winning the Salvatore M. DeBunda Sprint at Parx on Aug. 24, Buccherino finished his 2024 campaign with a third in a Florida-bred trifecta behind Bentornato and Sunny Breeze in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx on Sept. 21.

However, Velasquez said an injury in the Gallant Bob was reason for his only loss in his last four races, resulting in the long layoff.

“What happened with him was he had a problem last year in his last race as a 3-year-old with his foot in the Gallant Bob Stakes,” Velazquez said. “He tore the frog off one of his feet completely. So he had been off since last September. It took a long time to grow out. But he came back like a superstar.

“I wasn’t worried about him dueling with Super Chow because you can take him back if you have to. He was comfortable. And with Paco Lopez riding I didn’t have to worry about it. As far as the horse I would say he is not just 100 percent back. He’s 150 percent back.”

Buccherino has now won half of his 12 career races with a second and three thirds with earnings of $317,500. He is by Bucchero out of the winning Florida-bred mare Bellimbusto, by Double Diamond Farm stallion First Dude and was bred in Florida by Sergio Centeno’s Blue River Bloodstock. Centeno consigned him under the Blue River Bloodstock banner to the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training where Happy Tenth Stable purchased him for $75,000.
(Buccherino’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)

Bellimbusto has produced two starters from four foals, both winners with Buccherino the only stakes winner. She has an unraced 2-year-old filly, Moza Bella, by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ hot freshman sire Leinster and an unnamed yearling colt by Ocala Stud’s Colonel Liam. She has a weanling filly by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Verifying and Centeno told Wire to Wire, Bellimbusto was bred back to Verifying in 2025.

Return to the May 27 issue of Wire to Wire