BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Happy Tenth Stable’s Buccherino, a two-time stakes-winner at Parx in 2025, will make his first start of 2025 in an upper tier, $100,000 optional claiming at Parx Saturday. The 5-year-old trained by Alfredo Velazquez will join fellow Florida-bred Bernie’s Mitts among eight 4-year-olds and older set to six furlongs in the $55,000 contest.
Last year Buccherino won consecutive added-money test at Parx both at six-and-a-half furlongs. He won the $75,000 State Representative’s Sprint by two-and-three-quarters lengths on August 19 and the $150,000 Parx Sprint by a length-and-a-half on September 20.
He then went to Aqueduct on November 2 where he finished second to Florida-bred Damon’s Mound in the six-furlong Bold Ruler (G3) before returning to Parx to finish the year with a fourth behind winner Maximus Meridius in the $75,000 Blitzen going seven furlongs.
Maximus Meridius is also entered in Wednesday’s contest along with Blitzen runner-up Dropline and third-place finisher Paradise Valley.
Buccherino has an apparent fondness for Parx, where he has won six of eight starts including the $75,000 Salvatore M. DeBunda Sprint in 2024. He career ledger reflects eight wins, three seconds and three thirds with earnings of $511,300.
He is by Bucchero out of Bellimbusto, by Double Diamond Farm stallion First Dude and was bred in Florida by Blue River Bloodstock.
Angel Cruz will ride Buccherino from post four.
Nelson Berberena’s Bernie’s Mitts will also face several familiar foes as the 5-year-old gelding comes out of a third-place finish in a upper level, $100,000 optional claiming at Parx on December 8. That six-and-a-half-furlong test was won by Twisted Ride, another entrant for Wednesday, with Dropline second. Two starts back Bernie’s Mitts was seventh in the $75,000 Let’s Give Thanks Stakes won by Maximus Meridius with Paradise Valley third. His last win came in September at Parx when he took a second level, $50,000 optional claiming going six furlongs, defeating Paradise Valley by a length-and-a-half.
Bernie’s Mitts is by First Dude out of Precious Lady, by Songandaprayer and was bred in Florida by Julie Ann Jackson. He has won three with four second and four thirds with earnings of $154,680.
Trainer Jordan Bullock has given the riding assignment on Bernie’s Mitts to Kendry Rivera and they have drawn post six.
Rounding out the field are Counterspy with jockey Yedsit Hazlewood, Dropline will have Abner Adorno in the saddle, Mychel Sanchez will ride Maximus Meridius, Paradise Valley has Silvestre Gonzalez in the irons, One More Scoop will have Eliseo Ruiz up and Andy Hernandez will guide Twisted Ride.
Return to the February 3 issue of Wire to Wire
