Peacock Shops for Mares at Keeneland for Senor Buscador

Joey Peacock, owner of Saudi Cup (G1) hero Senor Buscador and co-breeder of the $12.9 million earner with his late father Joe, has stopped at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in search of mares to ultimately support his prize runner's future stud career. "We got our first mare (Nov. 6) and we're just trying to get started," Peacock said. "We want to support him when he retires from racing and this is a good place to get started with mares. Ultimately we would like to get 10-15 mares. I'm not sure how many we're going to get from this sale necessarily but we'll see how it goes." A longtime breeder, this is Peacock's first time shopping at the breeding stock sale. He enlisted the help of bloodstock agent Marette Farrell to assist with him purchasing new mares for his broodmare band. "(Farrell has) done a great job. So far we've only picked up one (Hip 369, the Arch mare Sarach for $30,000). We've been on a couple but they've gotten away from us," Peacock said. During the Nov. 8 fourth session, Peacock picked up Hip 1345, the stakes-winning and stakes-producing Lemon Drop Kid mare Candy Kitty, in foal to Up to the Mark, for $95,000. "There's quite a few on our list though so we'll just take it one day at a time," Peacock said. "It looks to me like the horses are selling very well here." Peacock confirmed that although he is mare shopping, there are no immediate plans to retire Senor Buscador. The Peacock Family Racing Stable-owned 6-year-old son of Mineshaft most recently finished fifth in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar. "He ran well the other day, he got fifth out of 14 and beat nine really nice horses and just couldn't quite catch the others," Peacock said. "His Beyer (Speed) Figure came back at 103 so that was a solid effort. We were happy with that." Senor Buscador returned to the track Nov. 7 and will soon rejoin trainer Todd Fincher's barn in New Mexico to prepare for likely one more start in 2024. "We're going to take it one race at a time but our plan right now would be to go to the Cigar (Mile) at Aqueduct next month and we would really like another shot at the Pegasus World Cup," Peacock said. "We were a second last year to National Treasure by a neck. That's at the end of the January so that's about as far out as we've looked for now." The breeding season begins in February. The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) is Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. Senor Buscador, runner-up in last year's Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) to Hoist the Gold, has been enjoying by far his most profitable year in 2024. After just missing in the Pegasus World Cup, he captured the $20 million Saudi Cup and ran third in the Dubai World Cup (G1). He is 7-for-22 overall, effective as a 2-year-old in 2020 and later as an older hose. Peacock keeps his broodmare band, including Senor Buscador's dam, the Desert God mare Rose's Desert, at Shawhan Place near Paris, Ky. Rose's Desert currently has a weanling filly by Into Mischief and is carrying a foal by Uncle Mo.