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Fincher Back To ‘Bread & Butter’ After Dubai, Oaklawn Road Beckons

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico–Todd Fincher cuts an easy path along the apron through the Sunday crowd at Sunland Park, giving nods and an occasional smile as he goes. It's closing day at the track and a homebred owned by Kirk and Judy Robison from his shedrow just won the Island Fashion S.

Sporting his standard duds, including a ball cap, creased jeans and shades, Fincher has his modular phone slung on his belt, ready to be drawn from its holster.

“Busy,” replies the New-Mexico based trainer when asked about how it's all going. “It's just been such a non-stop crazy time, but coming back to Sunland Park, this is my bread and butter.”

Fincher returned only a week ago from his second Middle East junket which capped Senor Buscador's (Mineshaft) successful two-race sojourn to that part of the world. Unless you have resided under an igneous rock, then you know that Joey Peacock's 6-year-old stalwart won the G1 Saudi Cup and then finished third in the G1 Dubai World Cup.

“The experience was great and even though the result in Dubai wasn't what we wanted, everyone was incredibly welcoming,” he said. “Even in a race as big as that one was, I don't get disappointed because at least 75 percent of the time you are going to lose in racing, so getting down like I used to serves no purpose whatsoever.”

Don't misinterpret Fincher's words because he wanted Buscador to win the World Cup. He wants to win them all and badly. Feigning disappointment is his prosaic outlook shining through. You have to have this kind of attitude, which hails from a special place inside and comes from a host of life experiences.

Like a character out of an Ace Reid Cowpoke cartoon, the horseman has a thin build which is a reminder that he used to ride for a living. The mental toughness he developed in the saddle while breaking young horses and as a New Mexico jockey some 30 years ago has served him well, especially in a business like conditioning.

Todd Fincher (left) with Only One America in the Island Fashion S. | Coady Photography

“I'd win three races riding and think I was on top,” he said. “And then that would dry up and I would get really, really down on myself, so you can't do that. It's a humbling sport with so many factors out of your control. You always have to be thankful for wins like Buscador delivered and he is not done yet, we hope.”

Fincher confirmed that Senor Buscador has arrived safely at Peacefield Farm in Temecula, California and will be given several weeks off before a new training cycle could start.

“Just like always, we are going to let him tell us,” he said. “I think the GII Pat O'Brien S. could be possible, we'll see, and then long term, the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.” Two years ago at Del Mar, Buscador finished third in the O'Brien to Laurel River (Into Mischief), who ran away with this year's Dubai World Cup.

While the Saudi Cup champ gets a break, his trainer will be doing nothing of the sort. With Sunland complete, Fincher's stable shifts to SunRay Park up in Farmington, New Mexico, but he loaded up a trailer bound for Hot Springs, Arkansas to start this week.

“We have a couple that I am taking to Oaklawn and I will be there all week,” he said. “I don't like hauling them this far, but it is going to be good to run against competition like this.”

Fincher is entering Perfect Dude (Majesticperfection)–who shifted from Vann Belvoir over to him in February–in Saturday's GIII Count Fleet S. It's a race which will feature Skelly (Practical Joke), who is making his first U.S. start since the gelding ran second in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia.

Making the some 900-mile trip to Oaklawn for the GI Apple Blossom S. is Flying Connection (Nyquist). Last year, the filly won the Island Fashion S. and then netted the Sunland Park Oaks, which earned her a spot in the starting gate for the GI Kentucky Oaks. She ran a game sixth in defeat that Friday.

“Perfect Dude is a fairly new acquisition, but I can tell he has a ton of talent and he is really quick out of the gate,” said Fincher. “I think Flying Connection has developed a real tactical advantage and she has really come far since last year when she just went straight to the front all the time.”

Flying Connection is co-owned by Brad King, Randy Andrews, Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis, which is the same group who invested in another Fincher-trained runner, Olivia Twist (Mshawish). Incidentally, King, Andrews, Cone and Lewis are a part of MSW Candy Aisle (Gun Runner), who was ninth in Oaklawn's GII Fantasy S. Mar. 30, and who Fincher will possibly send to the Valley of the Vapors S. Apr. 20.

A half-sister to MGSW/MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), Olivia Twist already made the trip to Hot Springs to join Candy Aisle and put in a six-panel work over the weekend. According to her trainer, the 4-year-old could be ready for the April 27 running of the Dig A Diamond S., but for now Fincher is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to her next start.

Olivia Twist working with Cristian Torres aboard at Oaklawn | courtesy of Robert Yates

“She raced a ton starting as a 2-year-old,” he said. “I really think she needed a good rest and got it during the second half of last year. I really like the way she carries her weight and she's developed over the winter, she has continued to be aggressive in the mornings, so we'll see if that continues to translate to the afternoons.”

Olivia Twist started eight times from when she broke her maiden at Remington Park late in her juvenile year through last summer at Del Mar. The biggest puzzle for Fincher is to figure out what distance she wants.

“That will come,” he said.

In the interim, Todd Fincher has plenty more puzzles to solve as Saudi Arabia and Dubai are now firmly in the rearview mirror. The road to Oaklawn beckons, and that means it is an opportunity to develop some more bread and butter.

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Spendthrift Newcomers Feature Pair of Juvenile Stakes Winners

Spendthrift Farm has added four new stallions to their extensive roster for 2023. Of those, two carry the weighty distinction of winning a graded stake at two. Both precocious horses furthered their success on the racetrack after their juvenile campaigns.

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo – Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) took home a hard-fought win in the 2021 GII Remsen S. and went on to claim a Classic victory this year. His new studmate Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music – Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred) came close to an undefeated season at two, but upped his game at three to be named Eclipse Champion Sprinter in 2021.

Jackie's Warrior's remarkable career highlighted by five Grade I scores started off with his domination of New York's juvenile division in 2020. Spendthrift's Mark Toothaker admits that ahead of the colt's stakes debut in the GII Saratoga Special S., their stallion nominations team was eyeing a different race contender. But after a call in to Steve Asmussen's assistant Scott Blasi, who said that Jackie's Warrior was the one they needed to look out for, they turned their attention to the bay son of Maclean's Music.

“The next thing you know, the horse does just what Scott said he was going to do and I'm on a plane headed up there trying to get a deal done,” Toothaker recalled with a laugh. “We were very fortunate to be able to get involved with him early.”

After his three-length win in the Saratoga Special, Jackie's Warrior established a new stakes record in the Hopeful and then earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in his 5 1/2-length Champagne win.

“It takes a special 2-year-old to be able to do what he did,” Toothaker explained. “What was amazing was how big and strong he was. He is a heavily-muscled horse with a lot of bone. When you first saw him as a 2-year-old, you're thinking that this is the biggest kid on the playground.”

During his Eclipse-worthy sophomore season, Jackie's Warrior reeled off four graded stakes wins highlighted by the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., where he went head-to-head with MGISW Life Is Good (Into Mischief). His four graded stakes wins at four included his fifth straight win at Saratoga in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., where he became the first horse in the storied track's 159-year history to win a Grade I in three consecutive seasons.

Toothaker recalled visiting Jackie's Warrior one morning during Derby week ahead of the sprinter's win in the GI Churchill Downs S. The backside was hectic and the Asmussen team had several high-profile contenders entered for that weekend, but the quietly composed Steve Asmussen spent over half an hour talking about his superstar trainee.

“He was so proud that he had bought the horse for $95,000 at the Keeneland Sale,” Toothaker said. “He said, 'Tooth, where were all the experts? Did they all go to lunch when he sold?' He was very proud that he had picked out the horse for the Robisons, who are wonderful people. Getting to meet Kirk and Judy Robison and develop a friendship with them and their children and grandchildren over the last three years has just been amazing.”

Jackie's Warrior, the highest-earning son of Maclean's Music, will stand for $50,000 in 2023. The champion has been in high demand with breeders and has already amassed a high-quality book to kick off his stud career.

“I've had so many people come out to the farm and say that he might be the best one they've seen of all the new [stallions],” Toothaker said. “Almost every mare that he got was a stakes winner or a stakes producer, so he's going to get every opportunity.”

Spendthrift's Mo Donegal has been received by breeders with similar enthusiasm.

“We love to have sons of Uncle Mo because that is what our breeders want,” Toothaker explained. “Last year [Spendthrift sire] Yaupon was the second most-popular horse in North America. Mo Donegal is a big, stretchy horse. What I love about him is that even though he stands over a lot of ground at 16'2 and a half, he's got a beautiful frame on him and a really nice hip.”

Going two for three as a juvenile, Mo Donegal claimed an exciting edition of the GII Remsen S. when he battled future Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart) down the stretch and survived a stewards' inquiry to get the win by a nose. The Todd Pletcher pupil ran third in this year's GIII Holy Bull S. before adding a win in the GII Wood Memorial S. over eventual GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner). In the GI Kentucky Derby, he drew the rail and raced 10 wide in the stretch to get up for fifth.

Mike Repole obtained a minority interest in Mo Donegal shortly before his Kentucky Derby bid and was rewarded in the colt's next and final start in the GI Belmont S., where he finished three length ahead of the runner-up, fellow Ashview Farm/Colts Neck Stables-bred Nest (Curlin), who is also co-owned by Repole Stables.

“I know that was a very special day for Mike and his family, the Lyster family and for Todd,” said Toothaker. “With Mo Donegal, one of the biggest factors for us has been that Mike Repole is our partner. Mike brings so much energy and when you've got a guy that buys 71 yearlings at the Keeneland Sale, that was a huge thing for us to know that we had his support like we have on Vino Rosso.”

One of Uncle Mo's top three leading earners along with fellow Classic winner Nyquist, a top third-crop sire this year, as well as champion Golden Pal, who is also set to begin his stud career in 2023, Mo Donegal will stand for $20,000. His dam Callingmissbrown, a daughter of GI Acorn S. victress and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Island Sand (Tabasco Cat), has produced two others winners including her 2-year-old daughter Prank (Into Mischief), who was named a 'TDN Rising Star' after her 9 3/4-length debut win at Saratoga this summer.

“For Mo Donegal to win a graded stake at two in the Remsen, which is a tough, grueling race at a mile and an eighth, but yet be able to do what he did as a 3-year-old in the Wood Memorial and top it off in the Belmont, it takes a very good horse to be able to do that,” Toothaker noted. “Mo Donegal was one of the absolute best of his class. It's a lot to offer breeders, especially for $20,000.”

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Asmussen Set For Big Saturday at the Spa

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Two standouts. Two high-profile graded stakes. Two different scenarios Saturday for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

In the Grade I portion of his afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, Asmussen will saddle champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), who just might go off as the shortest-priced favorite in the history of the $350,000 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., which has been run since 1985.

One race later, in the $600,000 GII Jim Dandy S., Asmussen will send out Epicenter (Not This Time), runner-up as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. The Jim Dandy is the local stepping stone to the meet's signature race, the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 27. It is entirely possible that he will be the favorite in a field that includes Preakness winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) and GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart), both trained by Chad Brown.

Asmussen picked up his first victory of the meet on Sunday when Clairiere (Curlin) solidified her hold on the top spot in the older female dirt division with an impressive score in the GII Shuvee S. over champion Malathaat (Curlin). This weekend at the Spa, the focus shifts to a pair of male horses, who could also end the season with Eclipse Awards.

A tribute to Jackie's Warrior's dominance in the sprint division is that just nine other horses were nominated for the six-furlong Vanderbilt and only five of those will face him Saturday. Further, the 4-year-old will carry a career-high 127 pounds, six more than Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic). The weight assignment is hardly a surprise since the speedy colt is perfect at Saratoga, unbeaten this year and has won six of his last seven starts.

“I don't think that you can talk about Jackie's Warrior running without pointing out how fortunate we are to have a champion colt back in training,” Asmussen said. “Kirk and Judy Robison allowing us to run or enjoy him another year is very special.”

The Robisons purchased the colt as a yearling for $95,000 and he has won 11 of 15 career starts and earned over $2.4 million. Joel Rosario will be up for the 15th-consecutive start.

“His three races this year have been very exciting, very dominating performances,” Asmussen said. “And the Vanderbilt just being another opportunity to run him at Saratoga, where I think his best races have been. Both of his runs as a 2-year-old, the Saratoga Special and the Hopeful were brilliant.

“And last year, a great win in the Amsterdam with a rain delay. You're stuck in the paddock an extra 20-30 minutes and then the performance he put in that day. I cannot say enough about his duel with Life is Good in the Allen Jerkens. So when you talk about getting to continue to run that horse and even better yet an opportunity to run him at Saratoga it's very special and unique.”

Jackie's Warrior was prepared for the races by Asmussen's parents, Keith and Marilyn, at their Texas training center. The Robison's colt promptly built his reputation during morning training and in the afternoon with four-straight victories. In the first three, he was not the favorite.

“When he came from Laredo, he was a very attractive, fast horse,” Asmussen said. “Ran excellent first time out, but I do think the ascension happened at Saratoga. We had a very good 2-year-old that had won the Bashford Manor in Cazadero (Street Sense). We breezed him and Jackie's Warrior together. It was a far more experienced or accomplished Cazadero and Jackie off one race and it was like 'wow, you're better than good. You're special.' I think that every day since then that's who he's been.”

Asmussen nodded in agreement at the comment that there can't be many horses that are four-for-four in graded stakes at the Spa.

“Winning one graded stake at Saratoga is a tall task,” he said.

Epicenter did not make his 2-year-old debut until September at Churchill Downs, a few weeks after the end of the 2021 Saratoga season. He broke his maiden second time out in November and has never been worse than second in his six races since. With victories in the GII Risen Star and GII Louisiana Derby on his resume, he went off as the 4-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colt looked like a winner in the stretch after a duel with Zandon when long shot Rich Strike (Keen Ice) rolled on by to score a huge upset.

Asmussen took him to the Preakness, but he encountered some trouble early, was far back and ended up 1 1/4 lengths behind Early Voting.

“Two hard races 14 days apart. He got a little freshening since then,” Asmussen said. “We love what we've seen since we've been here at Saratoga, but it is his first run at Saratoga ever. It will be his first try up here against a very accomplished field, but with the eye on the prize, that is the Travers this summer.”

Epicenter has breezed three times at Saratoga on the Oklahoma training track and Asmussen chose the Jim Dandy over the GI Haskell Invitational S. last weekend in order to give his colt a race over the main track.

Asmussen said that Epicenter is a popular runner, whose best performances may be ahead of him.

“Epicenter has a tremendously large rooting section, from people that I come in contact with, and in passing even, Epicenter has a large fan group,” he said. “What I am hoping, and on the way to proving, is that he's the next Gun Runner. And it feels very similar, because he does have a groundswell of support as a 3-year-old, even though he has not been victorious in the major races yet.”

Gun Runner had a very solid though not spectacular 3-year-old season, but became a superstar with $15,998,500 in earnings by winning seven of his last eight starts. That run started with the GI Clark H. in late November 2017 and ended with a win in his finale, the 2019 GI Pegasus World Cup.

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None Above The Law Takes Inside Route To Del Mar Derby Victory

Given a ground-saving ride by veteran Joe Bravo, the gray gelding None Above the Law fired in the lane and came away a winner of the 77th running of the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby at the seaside course north of San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, proving best by three-quarters of a length in the $254,000, Grade 2 headliner.

The son of the Japanese stallion Karakontie who was bred in California by his owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, found running room in the stretch and outfinished 12 rivals late to tally his sixth victory and earn a first prize of $150,000, which pushed his earnings up to $454,060. He is trained by Peter Miller.

Finishing second in the 3-year-old contest on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course was Wachtel Stable, Barber or Drion, et al's Flashiest, who had a head on Reddam Racing's Hockey Dad, the race's pacesetter who hung tough late.

Final time for the nine furlongs out of the angular Del Mar infield chute was 1:48.97.

None Above the Law paid $23.00, $13.60 and $8.60. Flashiest returned $14.80 and $8.00, while Hockey Dad paid $7.60 to show.

This was the first stakes win in the Del Mar Derby for both Bravo and Miller. The jockey is riding his first full season at Del Mar. Miller is the current meet's leading trainer and is en route to winning his eighth conditioning title at the shore oval.

In the track's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, the bet once again could not be hit and its carryover swelled to $556,901. If it is not hit during tomorrow's 11-race card, it will carry to closing day Monday, which will be a “mandatory” payout afternoon.

First post Sunday will be at 1:30 p.m.

Post-race quotes:

JOE BRAVO (None Above the Law, winner) – “Peter (trainer Miller) told me this horse can do anything. He wins running seven eighths on the dirt; he wins going a mile and one-eighth on the grass. We just saved all we could and I showed him daylight turning for home. He really got up under me. I'm having fun riding out here. Riding for good horsemen and riding good horses in Southern California. What more could a guy want?”

PETER MILLER (None Above the Law, winner) “I know he went from a mile on turf (9th, Oceanside Stakes) to seven-furlongs on the dirt (won Real Good Deal) to a mile and an eighth on the turf to win this. You won't find that in any training manual, that's not the way you do it. But this horse just does everything well. He's just an overachiever and I just love this horse. The Robinsons are longtime clients and what a ride by Joe Bravo.”

FRACTIONS: :23.80 :48.00 1:12.89 1:37.51 1:48.97

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer Miller, but his first in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby. He now has 42 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owners are also the breeders, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas.

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