Multiple Grade I-winning millionaire Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}–Mona de Momma, by Speightstown) has been retired from racing and arrived at B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm where the 4-year-old will take up stud duty in 2021. His fee has been set at $20,000 S&N.
This year’s impressive winner of the GI Carter H. and GI Runhappy Metropolitan H., Vekoma was scratched as the morning-line favorite in Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint after spiking a fever upon arrival at Keeneland. He will be given a few days to settle in at Spendthrift before being available for inspection.
“Precocious, brilliantly fast, carried his speed around two turns–you name it, Vekoma could do it,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “On top of that, he is a Grade I winner by a Grade I winner and out of a Grade I winner, so he’s truly a rare package in the breeding world. You won’t find a more brilliant or better-bred son of Candy Ride. We are extremely excited about his future at stud and look forward to showing him off to breeders after he’s been allowed a few days to settle in here … Any time a horse as good and as deserving as Vekoma does not get the opportunity to run in the Breeders’ Cup, you are obviously disappointed for the horse and for the connections. There’s so much hard work that gets put in. Ultimately, you have to credit George Weaver and his team for having an incredible season and always doing right by Vekoma through some hard luck at the end.”
Trained by George Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma captured graded stakes wins at two, three and four. The chestnut took the GIII Nashua S. at Aqueduct to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign, then went on to score a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland as a 3-year-old.
This year, Vekoma was perfect with wins at three different racetracks, kicking off his 4-year-old season with a 3 3/4-length victory in Gulfstream’s Sir Shackleton S. in March, adding a dazzling 7 1/4-length win in the Carter at Aqueduct, earning a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure, and scoring a front-running win in the prestigious Met Mile while stopping the clock in 1:32 4/5–just .15 seconds off the stakes record for the 129-year-old New York fixture.
An earner of $1,245,525, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. His dam’s career high came with a victory in the GI Humana Distaff H. Vekoma’s second dam, Society Gal, is a half-sister to successful sire Mr. Greeley.
Vekoma becomes the third Met Mile winner in the last four years to take up stud duty at Spendthrift. Mor Spirit, the 2017 winner, and Mitole, the 2019 winner, both stand at the historic Lexington-based farm.
For more information about Vekoma or to schedule an inspection, contact Des, Mark or Brian at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com.
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