By Dick Jerardi
In a training career that began four decades ago, Buccherino has been a late career masterpiece by Parx Hall of Famer Alfredo Velazquez. And, on Saturday night at the annual Horsemen’s Awards Banquet, after a season that saw him start eight times, with three stakes wins, two stakes seconds, and nothing worse than fourth in eight starts, Buccherino was announced as the 2025 Parx Horse of the Year.
It wasn’t until his 35th start that Velazquez won his first race, with Cinch to Cinch on Dec. 7, 1984 at the Meadowlands. Once he started winning, he never stopped. The grand total now is 1,243 winners from 7,779 starters.
His best year for wins was 1998 with 65. His best year for money was 2014, when he took over the training for top sprinter Private Zone for three races. All the horse did in those races was win the Grade I Vosburgh at Belmont Park, finish third in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, and win the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. In his brief time with Velazquez, Private Zone won $840,000 of his $2,924,620 career earnings.
When Buccherino came to his barn, Velazquez knew exactly what to do with a sprinter with speed and heart. Pennsylvania Derby Day 2025 culminated with Buccherino beating a very good field in the Parx Sprint. The cheers for the hometown trainer and his horse could be heard throughout the old plant. After winning that race, the State Representative Sprint at Parx and the Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park, as well as the seconds in stakes at Delaware Park and Aqueduct, Buccherino’s career earnings stand at $522,300 for owner Happy Tenth Stable.
“It surprised me,” Velazquez said of Buccherino’s Horse of the Year honor. “He’s a nice horse, but I never thought he would win Horse of the Year.”
But Buccherino did win and it was a much deserved award, a tribute to his trainer who has spent a lifetime getting slow horses to run a little faster and fast horses like Buccherino to run fast enough often enough to be named Parx Horse of the Year.
The night at Celebrations in Bensalem was about awards in all the divisions as well as recognizing the leading statistical winners among owners, trainers, jockeys, and horses.
The 2-year-old female winner was Divine Intentions for trainer Tyler Servis and owner Carguys Racing. She was 2-for-4 in 2025, including a stakes win. The 2-year-old male winner was Mailata, dominating winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery and Future Stars for owners Cash Is King, LC Racing and trainer Butch Reid.
Ourdaydreaminggirl was voted best 3-year-old filly after four stakes placings, including an amazing late run in the $1 million Grade I Cotillion when she finished third by a neck at 42-1. The filly is trained by Lou Linder for Branjam Stable and David Clark. Son of Thor was announced as top 3-year-old male after a season with four wins and a second in six starts for trainer Michael Pino and owner Just In Time Racing.
Alani, who had an amazing 2025 with six wins and four seconds from 13 starts, was named top older filly and mare. Trained by Michael Moore and owned by Hardesty Stables and Michael Day, Alani won two stakes and was right there in three others. Buccherino was also voted top older male in one of the stronger divisions at Parx in 2025.
Harp’s Hot Corner was voted as the claiming horse of the year. The horse started 12 times in 2025 with five wins, a second, and two thirds. Harp’s Hot Corner did his winning for trainer Jamie Ness and owners Madison Avenue Racing Stable, Morris Kernan, and Jagger, Inc.
Moore was voted trainer of the year. Ness was leading trainer at Parx for the sixth consecutive year, but Moore won in a separate category that recognizes “overall accomplishments or special achievements.” Moore had his best year yet with career bests in wins (52) and earnings ($2.2 million) while overseeing the venerable Twisted Ride, the sensational Takethemoneyhoney and Alani among others.
“It’s a real honor because I know we have a lot of good horsemen at Parx,” Moore said. “It’s so much hard work in this industry from your team, exercise riders, grooms. We had a great year, won some stakes. We claimed Alani who turned out real good. Takethemoneyhoney was real good, Twisted Ride’s nice. We get some good horses, which makes it a little easier on you.”
In addition to Ness with 129 winners at Parx, the other statistical winners were owner Marty Shaw’s Top Notch Racing (60 wins), trainer with fewer than 21 stalls, Elliott Soto-Martinez (28 wins), jockey Mychel Sanchez (204 wins), apprentice jockeys Melvis Gonzalez, Kendry Rivera tied with 27 wins and winningest horse Neigh Dude with six wins in 2025.
