The unlikely tale of a rescued mare, a goat and the Breeders' Cup contender

Nearly ten years have passed since charity workers from the Humane Society of Marion County came across 33 horses suffering from starvation on a Florida farm in the summer of 2009.

Among them was nine-year-old mare Meetmeontime with her colt foal at foot.

The unraced daughter of General Meeting, whose dam is US Grade 2 winner Parlay, had received short shrift from buyers when sold for a mere $2,200 at public auction the previous January.

Her previous owner, Karen Dodd, heard about the mare's plight and was quick to offer a home for her once she had recovered fully from her ordeal. The mare's foal, sadly, did not survive.

When Meetmeontime was sold her first foal, Meets Expectations, had been pulled up on her third and final start in a lowly claimer at Gulfstream Park - though more on her later - while her second runner had also finished unplaced in four starts.

After her rescue and given time to recuperate, Meetmeontime found herself back at Southern Chase Farm, the operation run by Dodd and her husband Greg.

"She really never missed a beat," Dodd told BloodHorse. "Once she got home with us, we didn't have any problems with her. We took our time putting the weight back on her. She was turned out with some other horses and it was all pretty uncomplicated for us.

"She was always very independent, and I think that's what allowed her to survive. She's very strong-willed."

That same July her third foal, Punctual, became her first winner when landing a maiden claimer at Del Mar by a comfortable seven and a half lengths, and returned to the same course on her next start, again finding her way back to the winner's enclosure.

Meetmeontime would enjoy the rest of the year at grass before paying a stud visit to Imperialism the following spring, a mating which resulted in a roan filly. Later named I'm A Southern Diva, she would go to win six races and more than $65,000 in prize-money.

For her next mating Meetmeontime visited Kantharos, a high-class two-year-old standing his first season at Vinery Stud in Florida.

The mare was transferred to Indiana - a state which offered lucrative breeders' premiums - to foal down and produced a healthy colt foal.

Fast forward to the present day and that foal, since named Bucchero, holds a live chance for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on Saturday, on the greatest stage in American racing.

View Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint card and runners

The six-year-old entire races in the blue and white silks of Ironhorse Racing, a syndicate made up of ordinary-minded people with a website that states 'no sheikhs and billionaires need apply'.

As well as Bucchero, the syndicate also races his two-year-old sister named Skyphos and three-year-old half-sister, named Meetmeonline, by Line Of David. This year Meetmeontime delivered an Uncaptured colt foal.

Incredibly, among Bucchero's possible rivals on Saturday is three-year-old colt World Of Trouble, another son of Kantharos whose dam is none other than the aforementioned Meets Expectations.

The Jason Servis-trained colt earned a start in the race after winning a pair of Listed sprints on his two most recent starts, including the Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga in August.

Trained by former teacher Tim Glyshaw, Bucchero has won back-to-back renewals of the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes sprint at Keeneland.

Bucchero also became Glyshaw's first runner at the Breeders' Cup when a close fourth to Stormy Liberal in last year's Turf Sprint at Del Mar.

Glyshaw has campaigned Bucchero ambitiously, even bringing him to Royal Ascot this year where he was a creditable fifth to Blue Point in the King's Stand Stakes on the opening day.

Born and raised in Indiana, Glyshaw was an unlikely entrant to the sport but got his break through Taylor Made Farm's internship programme, and days spent hot-walking and grooming eventually led to a position as assistant trainer to Cole Norman, before Glyshaw set up on his own in Kentucky.

The trainer, whose motto is 'if you take care of the horses, they'll take care of you', turns 50 the same day Bucchero takes his shot at glory in the Turf Sprint.

Glyshaw need not worry about keeping Bucchero company in the meantime, with his stable star's goat companion Chivo keeping a watchful eye over proceedings at the trainer's Churchill Downs stables.

Should Bucchero manage to land the spoils on Saturday, anyone looking for superlatives to describe him need look no further than the last four letters of his name.

More on Bucchero

King's Stand fifth Bucchero to be retired to stud after Breeders' Cup