Two more maiden winners for Bucchero; he now has 34

When Fast Fixer was disqualified days after his June 2 victory at Gulfstream Park, the only ones who benefitted from his supposed maiden score were those who backed him at the windows. The 3-year-old gelding paid off at $69.80, $27.40 and $13.20, plus a handful of juicy exotics, and after a DQ decision due to a positive test comes down, there’s no way to retrieve the cash from the winning bettors. Only the owners and breeder Good Beginnings Farm have to take the hit.

The gelding by Bucchero came back to get a second and a third, and yesterday made amends by breaking his maiden at Gulfstream in a 5 1/2-furlong race over the Tapeta surface. With Hector Diaz Jr. in the irons, Fast Fixer became Bucchero’s 34th winner with his 1 1/2-length victory, earned a check for $11,600, and left his sire less than $4,000 away from moving up to fifth place on Florida’s leading sire list for 2023. He paid $3.20 as the heavy favorite, was clocked in 1:04.53, increased his earnings total to $21,600, and received his best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure, an 86.

Bucchero’s 33rd winner was Shards, a 2-year-old colt bred by Craig Wheeler who broke his maiden at Colonial Downs in his third start and also paid $3.20. With Antonio Gallardo up, the $175,000 OBS March purchase made a five-wide run on the turn and inhaled the speed, drawing off by five lengths at the wire. He was clocked in 1:02.90 for the 5 1/2-furlong race on the outer turf course, and the $36,000 paycheck boosted his total to $52,000 on a record of 1-1-1 in three starts.