BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Buccherino maintained his superiority racing six-and-a-half furlongs at Parx Racing with a narrow victory in the $150,000 Stable Recovery Stakes, improving to five wins in six starts at the distance over the Bensalem, Pennsylvania main track. A winner of this race last year when run as the Parx Sprint, Buccherino kept a head in front under the wire to take a three-horse photo finish in a field of seven 4-year-olds and older.
Racing in the colors of Happy Tenth Stable owned by Tom and Kathy Lamont of Clearwater, Florida, Buccherino earned $88,200 to increase his career proceeds to $614,940. He also produced a $4,000 Export Incentive for the stakes victory outside Florida paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association to breeder Sergio Centeno’s Blue River Bloodstock in Morriston, Florida.
Buccherino and jockey Eliseo Ruiz raced just off Fire Pit on the rail and Bartlett to their outside down the backstretch and into the first turn, clipping off a quick :21.90 quarter-mile fraction. Buccherino put away those two at the top of the stretch and was two lengths clear passing the eight pole. He then had to hold off a late run from Ignite the Light and Houghton Shuffle, finishing in 1:15.80 on the fast track. Ingnite the Light was second, a head in front of Houghton Shuffle in third followed by Maximus Meridius, Fire Pit, Bartlett and Vibe. Quint’s Brew was scratched.
Buccherino paid $9.20 to win in his seventh win in 11 starts at the track.
Trained by Alfredo Velazquez, Buccherino was making only his third start of the year and second since a runner-up finish in an upper level $100,000 optional claiming going six furlongs at Parx on February 4. His only loss while racing six-and-a-half furlongs at the track was last out on August 18 when coming off more than a six-month break in the $75,000 State Representative’s Sprint. He finished fourth behind winner Fire Pit, Houghton Shuffle in second and Maximus Meridus in third.
The State Rep’s Sprint was a race he won by nearly three lengths last year before winning the Parx Spint on September 20. Velazquez then sent him to Aqueduct for the six-furlong, Bold Ruler (Grade 3) where he was second to fellow Florida-bred Damon’s Mound before returning to Parx for the previously mentioned optional claiming.
Buccherino has now won nine of 21 starts with four seconds and three thirds. Velazquez purchased him for $75,000 as an agent for Happy Tenth at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where he was consigned by Blue River Bloodstock.
Buccherino is by Bucchero out of the winning Florida-bred First Dude mare Bellimbusto, who raced for Blue River Bloodstock in her last seven of 10 career starts. Bellimbusto has two winners from as many starters and five foals. She has an unraced 2-year-old colt, Thunder Road, by Ocala Stud’s Colonel Liam, that sold for $67,000 to K.O.I.D., the South Korea-based conduit for the Korean Racing Authority, at this year’s OBS Spring Sale from the Blue River Bloodstock consignment. Bellimbusto also has an unnamed yearling filly by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Verifying. Both the 2-year-old and weanling were bred in Florida by Blue River Bloodstock.
Return to the September 19 issue of Wire to Wire
