Tandra Downs

Bucchero comes to Florida!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bucchero comes to Florida! The winner of the 2017 and 2018$200,000 G2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland is joining the stallion roster at Pleasant Acres Stallions for the 2019 breeding season!

Morriston, Florida USA – October 15, 2018 – Pleasant Acres Stallions is pleased to announce that Bucchero – the impressive repeat winner of the $200,000 G2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland (2017- 2018) ­– ­will stand in Florida for the 2019 breeding season with a $5,000 fee. Bucchero is the first son of rising star Kantharos to enter stud and his next start is at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on his home track, Churchill Downs, November 3, 2018.

“We could not be more excited to have Bucchero join our expanding stallion roster for 2019,” said Joe Barbazon, owner of Pleasant Acres Stallions. “Kantharos was a very successful stallion in Florida. The opportunity to offer his son to the many breeders in Florida, who were successful with his sire, is exciting! Pleasant Acres Farm and Bucchero’s ownership will be supporting him with some of our best mares.”

Bucchero bears a striking resemblance to Hill ‘n Dale Farm’s rising star Kantharos, whose 2019 fee was just increased to $20,000. Kantharos has produced more than 70% winners from five crops of racing age – 155 winners to date from 220 starters. His progeny includes 16 stakes winners, four at the graded level, including Bucchero and Breeders’ Cup Sprint contender XY Jet. Kantharos is also sire of World of Trouble, a 3-time stakes-winning and graded-stakes placed 3-year-old who is out of a Valid Expectations half-sister to Bucchero, Meets Expectations. She is also the dam of a full brother to World of Trouble that sold at the recent September Keeneland Sale for $285,000.

With a record of 11-6-3 in 30 starts through four seasons, Bucchero has career earnings of $937,936 to date. He is currently the richest Indiana-bred to have raced. Bucchero has won stakes long (1 1/16 m.) and short (6f) on dirt, 5 ½ furlongs on turf and has been stakes-placed on a synthetic surface. Throughout his career he defeated 20 different graded stakes winners including G1 winners Lady Aurelia, Marsha, Breeders’ Cup Champion Mongolian Saturday, and Undrafted as well as G2 and G3 winners including Disco Partner (WRH), Pure Sensation, Hogy, and Holding Gold.

Trained by Tim Glyshaw and Michael Trombetta, Bucchero was bred in Florida, but foaled in Indiana by Southern Chase Farm. He is raced by Ironhorse Racing Stable, LLC.  As a precocious 2-year-old, Bucchero made his career debut in the Hillsdale Stakes (Black Type), where he finished second, before graduating in his next start by a dominating six lengths. The effort earned him both a 4 Thorograph number and the confidence of trainer Michael Trombetta to nominate him for the Triple Crown. While a minor setback took him out of his spring campaign, Bucchero returned in the summer and finished his 3-year-old season with a victory against older horses in the $150,000 To Much Coffee Stakes at Indiana Grand. In his four-year-old campaign he added the 6-furlong Brickyard S. – winning by 7 ½ lengths and stopping the clock at 1:08.77 – before stretching out again to successfully defend his title in the To Much Coffee Stakes.

As a small ownership group, Ironhorse Racing Stable focused mainly on the Indiana incentive program during his 3- and 4-year-old career. However, Bucchero’s 5-year-old campaign was expanded to open stakes nationally where he earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the Sen. Robert Byrd Memorial Stakes before stunning the Keeneland faithful with first place in the 2017 G2 Woodford Stakes – earning a ticket to the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Bucchero firmly stamped himself as a top US, and eventually world-class, turf sprinter with a gallant fourth-place effort, beaten by a length.

The flashy chestnut continues to display the uncommon ability and durability to retain top-class form into his 6-year-old campaign where he was second in Keeneland’s G2 Shakertown Stakes this past April, and a troubled third in the G3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs. Bucchero was subsequently invited to compete against some of the worlds’ best turf sprinters at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes racing on a straight course without Lasix, Bucchero finished an inch from fourth, beaten by European stars and G1 winners Blue Point, Battaash, and Mabs Cross while defeating the champion Lady Aurelia for the second time in two meetings. In his most recent effort, Bucchero defended his Woodford title, winning as the favorite, and becoming the first horse to take the Woodford back-to-back as a G2 race.

“Bucchero has been sound throughout his entire career and is training as well now as he has ever been and we are very optimistic about his chances in the Breeders’ Cup,” Glyshaw commented. “He is as game a horse as I have ever trained. He has everything you want in a horse –speed, versatility, durability, and most importantly – heart.”

Bucchero will join stallions Amira’s Prince, Beau Choix, Handsome Mike, Neolithic, Ride On Curlin, and Treasure Beach at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala. Pleasant Acres Stallions has received many accolades for excellence, including 2017 DRF Florida-bred Beyer Award, 2009 Florida Breeder of the Year, 2009 Florida Broodmare of the Year, Breeder of the 2009 Florida Horse of the Year, and was ranked third in the nation for leading breeders in 2009 by average earnings per starter with 10 or more starters.

For more information about Bucchero, visit his website at www.buccherostallion.com to view a thorough multimedia recap of his career. For more information on Pleasant Acres Stallions, visit www.pleasantacresstallions.com, or email christine@pleasantacresstallions.com. Pleasant Acres Stallions is located at 2153 S.E. HWY-41, Morriston, Florida 32668. Owners: Joe Barbazon and Helen Barbazon.

For more information about Bucchero:

  • Christine Jones: 352-804-6618, christine@pleasantacresstallions.com
  • Harlan Malter: 646-789-5162, info@buccherostallion.com
  • Helen Barbazon: 352-207-0286, helen@pleasantacresstallions
  • Joe Barbazon: 352-207-0449, josephbarbazon@gmail.com
  • OFFICE: 352-528-2885
  • FAX: 352-528-5478

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1st Time Starter CROSSED Wins Indiana Grand Race Course MSW!

CROSSSED (Anthony's Cross) Wins Indiana Grand FINAL

Another milestone: First winner for Anthony’s Cross 

Anthony’s Cross became the fourth of Pleasant Acres’ five freshman stallions to get his first winner when Crossed proved to be a ton the best yesterday in a $33,000 maiden special at Indiana Grand Race Course. The Indiana-bred filly had been working well for her debut and was pegged at 2-1 on the tote board in the five-furlong race. With Jose Riquelme aboard, Crossed came out running from the No. 4 post and made every pole a winning one. When Three Spokes Up made her move on the turn, Crossed turned it up several notches and left the 4/5 favorite in her dust, drawing off by nearly six lengths in the lane. The filly’s owner/breeder, Just For Fun Stable, collected $19,800 for the score.

Firenza Fire is 2 for 2! Wins the Monmouth Park MSW and the Saratoga Sanford Stakes G3!

Firenza Fire WINS Saratoga Sanford Stakes G3

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=20134643

Regret. Upset. Tom Fool. Hail to Reason. Secretariat. Affirmed. Since the first edition of the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga a little more than 100 years ago, the race has been won by many of the most storied names in the history of the thoroughbred sport. Yesterday, Firenze Fire added his name to that august list, the son of Poseidon’s Warrior coming from off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win the $150,000, Gr. III kickoff to the Spa’s lucrative juvenile program in a driving finish.
Despite his impressive maiden-breaking performance at Monmouth Park on June 18, Firenze Fire was allowed to go off at 12-1 and he rewarded his followers with a $27 mutuel. After breaking fifth in the six-furlong test, Firenze Fire edged up to fourth after a quarter of a mile in :22.27, and went after pace-setting second choice Baffin on the turn. He took over the lead at the eighth pole, then held off 3-1 favorite Free Drop Billy approaching the wire, getting home by one length with six furlongs in 1:11.50.
The victory was worth $90,000 to Mr. Amore Stables and raised Firenze Fire’s earnings to $111,600. Trainer Jason Servis disclosed after the race that the colt will now be pointed to the seven-furlong, Gr. I Hopeful at the Spa on Sept. 4.
Pleasant Acres’ Treasure Beach, Brethren and Poseidon’s Warrior are currently running 1-2-3 on the Florida freshman sire list, and nationally, are eighth, 13th and 15th.