Stallions | Horse Racing Free Tips

Spendthrift Farm Secures Breeding Rights To Met Mile Winner Vekoma

B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Vekoma. The 4-year-old son of leading sire Candy Ride captured the prestigious Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on Saturday, staking his claim as one of North America's top racehorses in 2020.

“We are extremely excited about Vekoma and his future as a stallion. It's not often you see an elite racehorse that is by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Vekoma is a terrific blend of his sire Candy Ride and his Speightstown dam Mona de Momma, showing brilliance from six furlongs to a mile and an eighth and from ages two to four. There's sire power throughout the pedigree, with Vekoma's second dam being a sister to Mr. Greeley. You just will not find a better-bred son of Candy Ride. Vekoma proved he is one of the best horses in training with wins over good fields in the Carter and Met Mile, which have been two of the best performances we have seen this year. The combination of brilliance and pedigree is special.”

Trained by George Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma has always been one of the top racehorses in his crop, capturing graded stakes wins at two, three and four. After breaking his maiden at first asking in 1:08 4/5 at Belmont, the talented chestnut stretched out to win the one-mile G3 Nashua at Aqueduct to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign. At three, Vekoma jumped onto the Triple Crown trail, finishing third to Code of Honor in the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream in his seasonal debut. He went on to score a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, earning a berth into the Kentucky Derby.

This year, Vekoma has been perfect in three starts at three different racetracks, kicking off his 4-year-old season with a 3 3/4-length victory in Gulfstream's Sir Shackleton Stakes in March. Vekoma earned his first Grade 1 triumph in the form of a dazzling 7 1/4-length win in the G1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, earning a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure. Last Saturday, he validated his Carter performance with a front-running win in the aforementioned Met Mile, defeating Grade 1 winners Code of Honor and McKinzie, among others, while stopping the clock in a crisp 1:32 4/5 – just .15 seconds off the stakes record for the 129-year-old fixture in New York.

“Vekoma has been an outstanding talent since the moment we got him. He's such a special horse,” said Weaver. “We will take our time to enjoy this win, but Saratoga is the likely next place for him to run. We would like to put the horse in a position to become a champion.”

An earner of $1,245,525 to date, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. He is out of the Speightstown mare Mona de Momma who scored her biggest win as a racehorse in the G1 Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill. Vekoma's second dam, Society Gal, is a half-sister to successful sire Mr. Greeley.

Vekoma is the third Met Mile winner in the last four years that will take up stud duty at Spendthrift. Mor Spirit, the 2017 winner, and Mitole, the 2019 winner, both stand at the historic Lexington-based farm.

The post Spendthrift Farm Secures Breeding Rights To Met Mile Winner Vekoma appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Garoppolo Is First Winner For Grade 1 winner Outwork

WinStar Farm's Outwork, a Grade 1 winner by Uncle Mo, sired his first winner when Garoppolo won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park on Friday, July 3.

With Luis Saez riding for trainer Kelly Breen, Garoppolo broke alertly and tracked the early pace from third down the backstretch. He ranged up strongly three-wide on the far turn, assumed command in deep stretch and forged clear late to post a determined one-length victory in his second career start.

Owned by Mr. Amore Stable, Garoppolo was bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds. The bay colt, a $125,000 OBS March graduate, is out the multiple stakes-placed Cuvee mare Romantic Cuvee and hails from the family of multiple graded stakes winner and near-millionaire Senor Swinger.

“We believe the sky is the limit for Outwork,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar's president, CEO, and racing manager. “He has always reminded us of his sire, Uncle Mo, and we're excited to see that he is passing on the speed and precociousness that his sire line is known for.”

Outwork became Uncle Mo's first winner as a 2-year-old when he won his 2015 Keeneland career debut at 4 1/2 furlongs. Outwork registered his biggest career victory in 2016, winning the $1-million Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct for owner-breeder Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher. Outwork retired with earnings of $701,800, having finished first or second in four of five lifetime starts.

The first Grade 1-winning son of Uncle Mo to retire to stud, Outwork is produced from the Grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Nonna Mia, a three-quarter sister to multiple Grade 2 winner and sire Cairo Prince.

The post Garoppolo Is First Winner For Grade 1 winner Outwork appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Hit It A Bomb Shuttling To Argentina For 2020 Southern Hemisphere Season

Hit It a Bomb, the winner of the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, will shuttle to Haras Firmamento in Argentina for the 2020 Southern Hemisphere breeding season, the South American publication Turf Diario reports.

The 7-year-old son of War Front stands the Northern Hemisphere season at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., where he was advertised in 2020 for $5,000. His first foals are 2-year-olds of 2020, and he was represented by his first winner at stud on June 21, when the gelding Weston won a Santa Anita Park maiden special weight.

Hit It a Bomb has become a frequent traveler to Argentina during his young stud career, having covered 75 mares in the country during last year's Southern Hemisphere season.

The stallion won three of seven starts during his on-track career for earnings of $626,476, highlighted by his Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf score at Keeneland. He also won the Star Appeal Stakes in Ireland as a juvenile. The horse came back at three to place in a pair of Irish group stakes races.

A Kentucky homebred for Evelyn Stockwell, Hit It a Bomb is out of the Irish Group 3-winning Sadler's Wells mare Liscanna, making him a full-brother to European champion Brave Anna.

The post Hit It A Bomb Shuttling To Argentina For 2020 Southern Hemisphere Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tourist’s First Winner At Stud Comes At Emerald Downs

WinStar Farm resident Tourist was represented by his first winner at stud on July 1, when Kactus Kate took her debut start in an Emerald Downs maiden special weight on July 1, BloodHorse reports.

Kactus Kate was placed near the front early by Javier Matias, and quickly disposed of her foes to kick away by two lengths at the wire, stopping the clock in :52.82 seconds in the 4 1/2-furlong race. Trained by David Martinez, the filly raced as a homebred for Oak Crest Farm.

Kentucky-bred Kactus Kate is out of the winning Woodman mare Desert Liaison, who also ran as an Oak Crest Farm homebred during her on-track career.

Tourist, a 9-year-old son of Tiznow, stands at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., for an advertised fee of $7,500.

He won eight of 18 starts during his on-track career for earnings of $2,170,340, highlighted by his victory in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park. The horse also tallied wins in the G1 Fourstardave Handicap and the non-graded More Than Ready Mile Stakes.

Tourist is out of the winning Unbridled's Song mare Unbridled Melody, whose foals also include stakes winners Harlan's Harmony, Michael With Us, and Mountain Music Man. French champion Libretist, Japanese champion Hishi Akebono and English Group 1 winners Agnes World and Dubai Destination are in his extended family.