DEL MAR, Calif. — Go to the back, stay away from the others and close. Those were trainer Todd Fincher’s instructions to jockey Geovanni Franco before Saturday’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, and the tactics Franco used to guide Senor Buscador to an upset win in the $302,000 race at 1 1/16 miles. Closing from last of nine with a wide rally, Senor Buscador ($29) took the lead in the final sixteenth and won by 1 1/4 lengths over 7-2 Slow Down Andy. Fincher “told me he’s better when no one is around,” Franco said. “When I asked him at the three-eighths, he rolled.” Senor Buscador was helped by a solid pace set by 14-1 Brickyard Ride, a multiple stakes winning sprinter. Brickyard Ride, trained by Craig Lewis, set an early pace of 23.03 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.30 for a half-mile, leading by as many as 3 1/2 lengths. :: DRF's 2023 Del Mar headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. Brickyard Ride held a slim advantage into the stretch, but was caught by Slow Down Andy, who led for a few strides before he was passed by Senor Buscador. Brickyard Ride was beaten three lengths. “He got a little late,” Lewis said. “He's a gifted horse and can do a lot of things.” The disappointment in the field was Defunded, the 4-5 favorite who won the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita May 29. Defunded was well-placed in fourth on the backstretch of the San Diego and moved into third in the stretch. Defunded offered no threat through the final furlong, losing by 3 1/2 lengths. “No excuses for him,” jockey Juan Hernandez said. “He was in a good spot. I asked him to go, and he didn’t kick like in the last few races.” Tripoli, the winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2021, finished fifth, followed by Royal Ship, Missed the Cut, American Admiral, and Tisquantum. Royal Ship won the 2022 San Diego Handicap. Senor Buscador, who races for owner and breeder Joe Peacock, Jr., was timed in 1:42.54, winning for the sixth time in his 12th start. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 101.  Senor Buscador has earned $667,427 in a career that began in the autumn of 2020. The San Diego Handicap was Senor Buscador’s fourth stakes win and his most prestigious. He won the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at a mile at Churchill Downs last October before finishing eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland last November. Earlier this year, Senor Buscador had mixed form, winning his first start of the year in March as a heavy favorite in the minor Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park. By Mineshaft, Senor Buscador followed with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in April and a fifth in a field of six in the Hollywood Gold Cup. “When things don’t go his way, it’s frustrating because he doesn’t fight through it,” said Fincher, the leading Thoroughbred trainer in New Mexico. “This race looked like there was plenty of pace. He deserves it.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.