Bensalem, PA – Buccherino, last seen finishing third in the Gallant Bob Stakes (GII) on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard in September, made his four-year-old debut a winning one with a game victory in Monday’s featured allowance/optional claiming race.

Under Paco Lopez, the four-year-old son of Bucchero broke alertly and secured the early lead, maintaining a clear advantage through sharp opening fractions of :22.59 and :45.41. He fended off a challenge from reigning national claiming Horse of the Year Spikezone and then resolutely held off a late rally from longshot Houghton Shuffle to prevail by a neck and earn his fifth career victory.

Trained by Alfredo Velazquez and owned by Happy Tenth Stable, Buccherino also won the Salvatore M. DeBunda Sprint Stakes at Parx as a three-year-old.