Senor Buscador Won the $20M Saudi Cup - NM Ties

We were super excited for Senor Buscador's win in the Saudi Cup recently. Being from New Mexico, we were looking for a big score by trainer Todd Fincher, and boy did the team come through! 

Some pedigree notes on Senor Buscador (Mineshaft): 

His dam is Rose's Desert, and she has a 3YO daughter by CANDY RIDE (same sire as Secret Crush) named Aye Candy who has won her only start to date. Her trainer is, you guessed it, Todd Fincher. 

Rose's Desert is by Desert God (Fappiano) who was best known as the sire of the great Pepper's Pride (the Zenyatta of New Mexico) who was undefeated in 19 starts, earned over $1M, and once tied the record for consecutive wins in North America. 

Rose's Desert is a stakes horse herself who was also trained by Todd Fincher, and she is a two-time NM champion. She has produced four stakes winners from five starters that were sired by the notable stallions Ghostzapper and Curlin. 

Related Bloodhorse article: Senor Buscador Comes from the Clouds to Win Saudi Cup

The Body of the Great Ruffian Relocated from Belmont Park to her Birthplace - Claiborne Farms

Maybe second only to Secretariat is the legend of Ruffian, the filly who won every race while setting new track records until her fateful match race with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. She was winning when she faltered. They did everything they could, but were unable to save the great mare. They buried her in the infield at Belmont Park with her nose pointed toward the finish line.

Some said Ruffian was the greatest horse that ever raced, greater even than Secretariat. I've heard it said that she was in the lead at every call of every race she ever finished. Now, with Belmont Park in the process of renovations, her remains were carefully removed and she's now been returned home to her birthplace at Claiborne Farms in Kentucky.

Ruffian is a legend whose accomplishments have not faded with time. I think I need to go visit Claiborne Farm one day. 

Article: NYRA Relocates Remains of Ruffian to Claiborne Farms

Ruffian

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Secretariat's Kentucky Derby Win

This year's Kentucky Derby marks 50 years since one of the greatest legends that ever lived began his Triple Crown sweep by winning the Kentucky Derby. 

An exciting two days of racing begins with Kentucky Oaks day today -- featuring some of the best females 3YOs -- and the Kentucky Derby tomorrow, which is the first race in the 2023 Triple Crown series.

Enjoy this tour of Claiborne Farms, who stood the immortal Secretariat, as well as both Secretariat's sire and grandsire, Bold Ruler and Princequillo, as well as many other past and present legends. 

On this tour you'll see and learn more about the beautiful grounds, meet some of the current stallions including Run Happy, War Front, and Blame, and walk the famous Clairborne cemetery where Thoroughbred history rests. 

The tour lasts about an hour and if you're a fan of Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred history, you'll no doubt get a lot out of this virtual visit to one of the icons of the Thoroughbred industry. 

Remembering Sitiby You

Sitiby You was one of our first homebreds, a daughter of Devon Lane and Netta Gayle Bell, who was a Slewvescent daughter out of a stakes-winning mare. (We have no idea what her name means. We didn't name her.)  

We purchased her dam in foal to Devon Lane for a very good price at a small sale in the El Paso area (at a location that would later serve as the training track for the movie 50-to-1, the story of the Kentucky Derby winner from New Mexico, Mine That Bird). Another auction attendee told us he thought we'd made the buy of the century. We felt pretty good about that!

The following spring "Netta" produced a lovely bay filly, one of very few ever born at our ranch instead of at a breeding farm. Sadly, we weren't in a position to race a homebred at that time, and had to pare down the broodmare band that year so Netta and her foal were part of a package deal we put together for a New Mexico owner.

She later had a short career of only six starts, but was a winner and ran 2nd on another occasion. 

We caught up with this girl before a race at Albuquerque Downs and upon seeing her in the saddling paddock for the first time in over three years, we were shocked! When we sold her, she was a tiny bay baby...and she'd grown into a stunning, tall grey mare. We definitely did a double take! The grey, of course, came from her sire, Devon Lane, a son of Storm Cat who was one of our state's best producing stallions in his day. 

Here's a photo from that day at Albuquerque Downs. 

Sitiby You was foaled in 2008, and ran from 2010 - 2012 (three to five years old). This photo is from the September - November 2012 time frame when she was four. 

As a baby, she was a bit of a dynamo. She was always active and usually into some sort of mischief. Our first halter lessons with her were a complete rodeo! One morning our barn manager found her laying in the water trough, up to her neck in chilly water. He fished her out and she was fine, if a bit tired. 

We will always remember our girl fondly.