Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: Vekoma 'growing up' at right time
Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 4 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.
Signalman isn’t the only graded stakes winner making his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
R. A. Hill Stable’s and Gatsas Stables’ Vekoma — a Candy Ride colt who seems to be flying under the radar in a field featuring buzz horses such as Hidden Scroll and Global Campaign — is as with those, unbeaten, at 2-for-2.
The Fountain of Youth will mark the first start in four months for Vekoma, who was last seen winning the Nov. 4 Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.
“I think he’s filled out and I think he’s growing up,” trainer George Weaver said. “He knows what he is. He knows that he’s a racehorse, which he ran professionally as a 2-year-old, but I feel like he’s just that much older and more developed.”
Connections decided to give Vekoma, who was foaled on May 22, extended time to mature ahead of his spring campaign, foregoing a start in the Remsen Stakes (G2), for which the Nashua is a natural local pre. While Vekoma is considered a 3-year-old along with the rest of the 2016 crop, he will still not have hit his actual third birthday should he run in the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
“We wanted to put ourselves in a position to run in the bigger races this year,” Weaver said. “We didn’t want to continue on with him and keep running him and then end up on the shelf when the races counted. He’s done well with the break, and we’re glad we gave it to him.”
Vekoma returned to the work tab at Palm Beach Downs in January and has turned in six breezes since then. He last worked five furlongs on Saturday and was timed in 59.87, the fastest of six at the distance.
“He’s had a nice series of workouts, each one being better than the one before it,” Weaver said, “and he should be fit enough to go on over there and run. We’re looking forward to running him.”
Should Vekoma run well and take to Gulfstream’s track, Weaver said he would prefer to run back in the March 30 Florida Derby (G1), but he hasn’t ruled out other final prep options such as Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial (G2), Keeneland’s Blue Grass (G2) and Oaklawn Park’s Arkansas Derby (G1).
Vekoma broke his maiden in a six-furlong maiden special weight race on Sept. 23 at Aqueduct, defeating Epic Dreamer and Mihos, the eventual Mucho Macho Man Stakes winner. The colt stretched out to a mile in the Nashua, in which he finished ahead of Network Effect and Call Paul, and will receive his first two-turn test in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth.
“He’s always shown us a decent amount of talent,” Weaver said. “We had a feeling he was pretty good early on. He’s got some class about him too and I do like the fact he’s very tractable. He’s not an aggressive horse training. He knows when to take care of himself.
“You can work him in company and he doesn’t get all geared up and rank in those situations, which I think is going to serve him well while we’re trying to figure out how he handles two turns. I think he’s got a very good mind. He’ll do what you want him to do when you need it.”
Derby links
• El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate’s prep plans are set, with the route allowing connections to go on to the Kentucky Derby or prep for a free trip to the Preakness Stakes.
• HRN handicapper Reinier Macatangay analyzed Instagrand’s resume compared to the value he’ll present upon return in the San Felipe Stakes (G2). A bad bet?
• The Pressbox’s Gene McLean lists his latest Derby Top 20, which features a Fountain of Youth contender moving up the ranks ahead of Saturday’s race.
In case you missed it…
Tuesday’s Derby Daily report features voter reaction from the first Kentucky Derby Media Poll, along with video of recent works by Game Winner, Improbable and Instagrand.