BY BROCK SHERIDAN
When it comes to racing six-and-a-half furlongs at Parx Racing, few are as sharp as Florida-bred Buccherino, who is four for five under the conditions.
Owned by Tom and Kathy Lamont’s Happy Tenth Stable of Clearwater, Florida, Buccherino returns to his wheelhouse Saturday at Parx in the $150,000 Stable Recovery (Listed), a six-and-a-half-furlong test for eight 4-year-olds and older.
The defending champion as last year’s winner when conducted under the Parx Sprint moniker, Buccherino comes out of his lone defeat at the distance at Parx on August 18. He was fourth in the $75,000 State Representatives Sprint won by Fire Pit with old rivals Houghton Shuffle second and Maximus Meridius third. The Stable Recovery will feature a rematch off all four.
Buccherino stands to improve off that effort—his first race in nearly six months—and it appears trainer Alfredo Velazquez has further sharpened the 5-year-old horse with two works since. The son of Bucchero produced a bullet over the track on September 12, breezing five furlongs in :59.13, the fastest of 17 moves at the distance that morning. A week earlier, he went that same distance in 1:00.93, third fastest of 16 works at the distance.
Last year’s State Representatives Stakes, the $75,000 Salvatore M. DeBunda Sprint in 2024 and a $75,000 optional claiming, also in 2024, make up his other triumphs going six-and-a-half furlongs at the track.
But Buccherino sports a dangerous record at any distance at Parx, having earned $330,840 of his lifetime $526,740 bankroll from six wins in 10 starts with a second in a upper tier $100,000 optional claiming on February 4 and a third in the 2024 Gallant Bob (G2) behind Florida-breds Bentornado and Sunny Breeze.
Overall, Buccherino has eight wins, four seconds and three thirds from 20 races including stakes wins in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park in May of last year and a second to fellow Florida-bred Damon’s Mound in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler during the Belmont at Big A meet at Aqueduct in November of last year.
Bred in Florida by Sergio Centeno’s Blue River Bloodstock based in Morriston, Buccherino is out of the First Dude mare Bellimbusto. Centeno stands to receive a $4,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association should Buccherino win the out-of-state stakes.
Velasquez purchased Buccherino for $75,000 out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale.
Velazquez is having a strong season, winning at a 33% clip in 2026 and going four-for-ten in stakes company. He turns to Eliseo Ruiz, who was aboard for the comeback and has been a remarkably effective partner for the barn at Parx, winning 10 of 19 starts for Velazquez.
Buccherino has two and is a generous 6-1 on the morning line.
Familiar faces are likely to be waiting for him. Maximus Meridius has met Buccherino repeatedly over the past two years, finishing behind him on multiple occasions here but turning the tables in the $75,000 Blitzen at Parx on December 31 and again last month.
Paco Lopez rides Maximus Meridius from post four and they are 4-1 on the morning line for trainer Robert Reid Jr.
Fire Pit enters off three straight wins at Parx having taken a upper level $50,000 optional claiming on June 2 and a similar conditioned $100,000 optional claiming on July 7 before taking the State Rep.
Trainer Guadalupe Preciado will call on Luis Saez to ride Fire Pit from post one and they are 5-1 in the program.
Also set to line up are Bartlett with Frankie Pennington in the irons, Forest Boyce will control Quint’s Brew, Jose Oritz has the engagement on Quint’s Brew, Ignite the Light with jockey Flavien Prat and Vibe will have the riding services of John Velazquez.
Return to the September 17 issue of Wire to Wire
