New Mexico Trainer up to the Task at Del Mar

DEL MAR, Calif.— It might not appear to be it on paper, however coach Todd Fincher is happy with how his summer season has gone at Del Mar. Generally progress isn’t essentially measured in victories. Going into Saturday’s racing, Fincher has one winner out of 11 begins with a second and two thirds.

“It’s been okay,” Fincher says. “My numbers aren’t the very best however lots of the horses have run good. We’ve introduced some good horses and we’re not working in claiming races so we’re going up towards the very best. A pair haven’t run to expectations however we’re getting a really feel for them.”

Not fairly what he’s used to in New Mexico and within the midwest at Lone Star Park and Remington Park, the place Fincher has made many a visit to the winner’s circle. He’s compiled over $1 million in earnings yearly since 2009.

Fincher has introduced six horses to Del Mar this 12 months. Senor Buscador ran third within the G2 Pat O’Brien Saturday and Slammed received an allowance by 5 lengths at Del Mar final month. She’s working in as we speak’s G3 Rancho Bernardo.

“I’ve been coming (to Del Mar) for years,” Fincher says. “The primary time I got here right here with horses was 2018 and I simply didn’t carry the best sort of horses. Reside and be taught by the years. Clearly, I wouldn’t come right here except I’ve the standard. We’ve a Grade 2 and Grade 3 (this weekend), hopefully they’ll run good as a result of they’re very good horses.”

Fincher is all too aware of learn how to play the sport. He grew up within the racing enterprise.

“My dad was a jockey and he rode for 25-to-30 years,” Fincher says, “and my mother educated so I grew up in it. After I was 16, I used to be a jockey for 10 years. I received over 900 races on Quarterhorses and Thoroughbreds however I couldn’t hold my weight down anymore. I did it so long as I may and I used to be blessed to do it.”

He approaches the duty of coaching the identical manner he did using and the outcomes have been encouraging.

“We’ve constructed our enterprise from the bottom up,” Fincher says. “We’re doing nice in New Mexico and we’re increasing and getting higher high quality Kentucky breds. We’re going to Remington and Lone Star, Texas and Oklahoma.”

The New Mexico circuit has been excellent to Fincher. He scored his first and solely graded stakes race with Runaway Ghost within the 2018 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park. The son of Ghostzapper would win six of his eight races at Sunland, all stakes, and finally compile $783,509 in earnings.

However with the entire success Fincher has loved in New Mexico, Del Mar stays a summer season vacation spot.

“Clearly, if we acquired adequate horses we need to come right here,” Fincher says. “Everyone loves it. The horses adore it, I adore it, the homeowners adore it. If you happen to acquired the standard you need to come out right here and run towards the very best.“

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Photograph: Todd Fincher (Coady Pictures)