BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-bred Ms. Bucchero led the entire way under jockey Xavier Perez then held off a late-running St. Benedicts Prep to win the $100,000 What A Summer at Laurel Park Saturday. In winning her second consecutive stakes, Ms. Bucchero defeated five other fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older going six furlongs.

Ms. Bucchero brushed with Spencerian to her outside shortly after leaving from post two but recovered quickly to assume command while staying on the rail. She led by two lengths ahead of Kant Hurry Love through a quarter mile in :22.86 then added to her lead around the turn while finishing four furlongs in :46.30. She was three lengths in front in mid-stretch as 6-5 favorite St. Benedicts Prep began making up ground on the outside but Ms. Bucchero held on to win by a nose in 1:12.25 on the fast track.

“She’s one of the fastest fillies that I’ve ever rode in my career,” Perez said. “She doesn’t want to be told what to do. I popped her out of there and dropped her head. You can see on the backside I have a loop on the rein. She was relaxed. When I tightened up my reins at the quarter pole and asked her to go, she gave me everything she had.”

Trained by Diane Morici, who races the 5-year-old mare under her Morici Racing Stable LLC banner, Ms. Bucchero paid $6.40 to win.

 

She won the $99,000 Willa On The Move going six-and-a-half furlongs over a muddy and sealed track at Laurel on Nov. 29 and was second to Apple Picker in the $100,000 Alma North at six-and-a-half furlongs at Laurel in July. Between those two races, she finished out of the money in the Sensible Lady in her only start on grass. 

Reliable with a record of eight wins from 15 starts and three seconds, Ms. Bucchero boosted her lifetime earnings to $324,950. 

Bred in Florida by Pamela Edel, Ms. Bucchero is by Bucchero out of Give Glory to God, by Mutakddim. Give Glory to God has produced four winners, including two stakes-winners, from four starters and five foals. With Overdriven, she produced stakes-winning Florida-bred Red Crescent.

Ms. Bucchero is a graduate of the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where she did not meet her reserve when consigned by Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds.

Return to the January 18 issue of Wire to Wire