McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds already had plenty of firepower on its stallion roster, as it has developed New York’s current leading sire Central Banker and has a rising star behind him in 2023’s top freshman sire, Solomini. Now, the farm welcomes in Bucchero, who has proven himself in Florida and is poised to be a standout as the New York breeding and racing industry looks ahead to the future. Central Banker, a Grade 2-winning son of Speightstown, entered stud at McMahon, just 10 minutes from Saratoga Race Course, in 2015 and quickly made his mark. He was New York’s leading freshman and 2-year-old sire of 2018, finished third on the general sire list in 2019, and was a tight second on that list in 2020. He has since led the general sire list in three consecutive years. In 2023, Central Banker sired 71 individual winners from 138 starters for progeny earnings of $4,168,692. He was represented by a number of consistent runners, including his millionaire Bankit, who recorded his eighth career stakes win in 2023, taking the Commentator Stakes at Belmont. Stakes winner Morning Matcha was third in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap behind divisional Eclipse Award favorite Idiomatic; Allure of Money’s multiple stakes wins included the New York Derby; and General Banker was multiple graded stakes-placed. On the general sire earnings list regardless of progeny conception area, Central Banker was well clear of two newcomers to New York. Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Tourist, who moved from WinStar Farm in Kentucky to Rockridge Stud for the 2023 season, had 50 winners from 118 starters for $2,834,041. Bucchero, formerly at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Ocala, Fla., recorded 50 winners from 89 starters for $2,704,177. Solomini, by rising sire of sires Curlin, was among New York’s top 10 general sires with his breakout first crop, and, in fact, made some noise nationally. While the young stallion had stakes winners in his adopted state, in My Shea D Lady at Aqueduct and Soloshot at Finger Lakes, he also was represented by Wynstock, winner of the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity against open company in December. Solomini recorded 14 winners from 43 first-crop starters to dominate New York’s freshman earnings list and also lead the 2-year-old sire list with earnings of $1,446,938. Those earnings were enough to rank him seventh on the North American freshman sires list, the only non-Kentucky stallion to make the top 10, despite having the fewest starters of anyone in the top 10. The season’s top three freshmen – Mitole, Maximus Mischief, and Vino Rosso – had 83, 83, and 92 starters, respectively. It was the second year in a row, and third time in the last six seasons, that McMahon has had the leading freshman sire in New York, following Central Banker’s debut in 2018 and Redesdale, now a top 15 general sire, topping the list in 2022. It’s this impressive stallion roster, and legacy in the state – McMahon, established in 1971, is best known as the birthplace of Kentucky Derby winner and champion Funny Cide – that Bucchero joins. “McMahon has obviously been a foundation farm in New York for a very long time,” said Harlan Malter, managing partner for Bucchero’s stud career. “The whole family has been very welcoming and very supportive, and we’re thrilled to death to be going there and had a very good reception there.” Indiana-bred Bucchero, campaigned by Ironhorse Racing Stable, of which Malter is the managing partner, won 11 of 31 starts over five seasons. His seven stakes wins were highlighted by back-to-back scores in the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland. He placed in seven other stakes races; was fourth, beaten just a length by champion Stormy Liberal, in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; and was a creditable fifth in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting in 2018. Bucchero entered stud in 2019 at Pleasant Acres. According to Equineline statistics, he is the sire of 158 foals of racing age from his first two crops. Through Jan. 19, he was the sire of 94 starters, for 59 percent starters from foals; and 56 winners, for 60 percent winners from starters. His runners are led by New Jersey-bred Book’em Danno, who won the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth and Futurity at Aqueduct and finished second in the Nashua at Aqueduct last year. The gelding opened his 3-year-old campaign with a 12 1/2-length romp in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay and is targeting the Group 3, $1.5 million Saudi Derby next month. Bucchero also is the sire of Mattingly, who won the Hollywood Beach at Gulfstream and placed in three other stakes; stakes winner Beauty of the Sea; and 10 other stakes-placed runners. As Bucchero began to prove himself as a stallion, Malter and his partners began to consider what his future might hold. “We had been thinking about it as Bucchero’s results started to populate in larger numbers to get a sense of where we were with him,” Malter said. “Not only was he producing at a very high level for the kind of mare population we bred to, he was stunningly consistent. They’re just consistent. And obviously, he has some really talented horses, like Book’em Danno, but they’re just stunningly consistent.” Bucchero’s team felt his consistency would make him a positive addition to the New York program, which offers lucrative breeder and stallion awards. Those breeder awards have increased in 2024. Bucchero’s success has come on several different surfaces, which also was “100 percent” part of the conversation as New York will add a synthetic racing surface in the coming years, with the new Belmont Park. “Look, Florida’s been fantastic – the Florida breeders were unbelievable,” Malter said. “But I think where we are today, programs like New York are putting a huge amount of emphasis into ‘How can we make this viable? How can we make it viable to be a breeder?’ The program has done everything possible to create a situation where a breeder can go and produce a horse and really hope that, whether or not it’s a big sale horse, there’s still some back-end money. “New York’s program is so strong, not only for us owning [Bucchero] as a stallion, and stallion awards, and things like that, but really, he’s perfect for a New York breeder,” Malter continued. “Forty-seven percent in the money, in theory, every other time a Bucchero you bred leaves the gate, you might be getting a check in New York, and I think that’s something that has to be focused on in the Thoroughbred world right now. We have to really help out the small breeder.” Stallions shifting between states is not an unusual scenario. Many times, stallions prove themselves in a regional marketplace and then are moved to Kentucky to chase continued success – as was the case with Bucchero’s own sire, Kantharos, who moved from Florida to Kentucky for 2017. On the other side of the coin, sires in an intensely competitive Kentucky marketplace may move to another state in search of more support – Tourist being just one recent example. A stellar New York breeding program – the state produced six individual graded stakes winners in 2023 alone, led by Grade 1 winners Red Knight and Therapist – has been attracting a higher class of new stallions in recent years. Grade 1 winner Mind Control retired directly to New York for 2023, at Rockridge for a partnership, and covered the most mares of any stallion in the state, 190, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred. Grade 1 winner Americanrevolution, retired to Rockridge this year, boasts the highest stud fee in the state, at $12,500. WinStar Farm, which co-campaigned the young stallion, cited the Belmont renovation as a factor in its decision to re-enter the state market. Malter said he did have some conversations with Kentucky farms, but ultimately felt Bucchero could have continued success in New York as an accomplished newcomer. “We’re breaking the mold yet again,” he said. “He’s not a traditional stallion. . . . [But] he’s a rock-solid stallion that still has a huge amount of upside. The approach we made to New York was, look, this is a move of a stallion that could take a shot in Kentucky, but that’s very difficult and I was very realistic. . . . New York suddenly becomes a very attractive place where an up-and-coming stallion can become part of that program.” Bucchero will stand for an advertised fee of $7,500 at McMahon, alongside Central Banker and Solomini at the same fee; newcomer Provocateur, a Grade 1-placed son of Into Mischief, at $5,000; and Redesdale at $2,500. The reception has been strong. Malter said that even before Book’em Danno’s Pasco romp, on Jan. 13, Bucchero had 65 mares booked to him for the breeding season that begins in February. That number, which was sure to grow, stacks up well, as only six stallions bred more than that in the state in 2023. After Mind Control leading the way, Central Banker covered 171 mares and Solomini covered 103; Honest Mischief, a popular young son of Into Mischief who will have his first runners this year for Sequel Stallions, covered 94; perennial leading turf sire War Dancer covered 71 at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions; and Grade 2 winner Keepmeinmind bred 70 in his first year at Sequel. “We’re very enthused with the reaction we’re getting in New York,” Malter said.