Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Senor Buscador brings mare, owner to world’s biggest stage
From the racetracks of New Mexico to the Middle East, Rose’s Desert has developed into the linchpin of the Peacock family operation, with her son Senor Buscador looking to take down another of the world’s richest prizes in Saturday’s Group 1, $12 million Dubai World Cup.
New Mexico-bred Rose’s Desert, a Desert God mare out of the Peacock homebred Miss Glen Rose, was trained by Todd Fincher for the family. She put together a stellar race record of 10 wins and five seconds from 15 starts, winning seven stakes at Sunland and Zia Park. Her consistency has carried through into her broodmare career, with five winners from as many starters. In addition to Senor Buscador, a son of Mineshaft bred in Kentucky by Joe Peacock Jr. and his late father, Joe Peacock Sr., the mare is the dam of Grade 3 winner Runaway Ghost and stakes winner Our Iris Rose, both by Ghostzapper, and stakes winner Sheriff Brown, by Curlin. All these homebreds have been trained by Fincher.
“The mom was the first horse I ever trained for the Peacocks,” Fincher told track publicity. “It’s been a great relationship, and I’m very fortunate to have them choose me. It’s been a hell of a run.”
Senor Buscador has won seven of 18 career starts for $11.4 million in earnings – a large chunk of that coming from his victory in last month’s Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup. He owns four other stakes wins, including the Grade 3 Ack Ack in 2022 and the Grade 2 San Diego last year; his multiple Grade 1 placings include a close runner-up effort in the Pegasus World Cup in January.
“My parents started racing horses about 55 years ago,” Peacock said in the Saudi Cup post-race press conference. “This is the last horse my father and I bred together. It’s very, very special.”
The next runner in the pipeline for Rose’s Desert will be Rose A, a 2-year-old filly by Hard Spun. The mare delivered an Authentic colt in late April 2023; the yearling has been named The Hell We Did. Rose’s Desert was bred to leading sire Into Mischief for this year.
Shawhan Place on a roll
Shawhan Place enjoyed a big double in February, watching two horses it foaled and raised win important stakes. The Paris, Ky., farm could better that to a triple on Saturday, with three of its graduates active in major races around the world.
On Feb. 24, Senor Buscador won the Saudi Cup, and Lemon Muffin won her maiden in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn. Shawhan Place boards mares for the Peacock family, and foaled and raised Senor Buscador for that homebred operation. Lemon Muffin, co-bred by one of Shawhan’s owners, Theodore Kuster, was also born and raised at the farm, and consigned by the operation as a yearling.
Both horses are in action again Saturday, with Senor Buscador looking to take down another rich prize in the Dubai World Cup, and Lemon Muffin looking to cement her place in the Kentucky Oaks in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn. The farm will also be watching another young horse it raised, Le Dom Bro, try to continue on the Kentucky Derby trail in Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The colt was second in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth earlier this month.
McCraken to Old Friends
Multiple graded stakes winner McCraken has been pensioned from his stallion career and retired to Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. The now-gelded 10-year-old son of Ghostzapper had stood at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky.
“It is already evident to me that this wellmannered multiple stakes winner is going to be a real hit with our many visitors to Old Friends,” said John Nicholson, who took over last month as president and CEO of Old Friends for founder Michael Blowen. “We are grateful to Bret Jones and all the folks at Airdrie Stud for giving McCraken such a fulfilling retirement and a chance to be celebrated by racing fans everywhere.”
McCraken, who raced as a homebred for Whitham Thoroughbreds, won the Street Sense Stakes and Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as a juvenile; and the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes the following year. He placed in four additional stakes, including a narrow runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.
McCraken began his stallion career in 2019 at Airdrie, and stood five seasons. He is the sire of 24 winners from 39 starters through March 26, including stakes winners Release McCraken and Una Palabra.
In addition to McCraken, Old Friends’ newest arrivals include dual classic winner and champion I’ll Have Another, whose arrival was celebrated last week.