Report: Saudi Derby winner Golden Vekoma will not run UAE Derby

Golden Vekoma, winner of the Group 3 Saudi Derby on Feb. 22, will not contest the Group 2 UAE Derby at Meydan on April 5.

Trainer Ahmad bin Harmash was not happy with how Golden Vekoma was coming back after his start in the Saudi Cup, according to a Friday post on X by Dubai-based racing journalist Laura King. She reported that Harmash plans to stop with him and bring him back next season.

Golden Vekoma, a 3-year-old son of Vekoma out of the Stevie Wonderboy mare Sticks Wondergirl, has won three of his four starts to date. Though he was a well-beaten third behind Heart of Honor on debut in a dirt mile at Meydan on Dec. 6, he has won all three of his starts since. He broke his maiden in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial on Jan. 3, turned the tables on Heart of Honor to win the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) on Jan. 24, and then reeled in Japan-based Shin Forever to win the Saudi Derby.

Though Golden Vekoma was not an individual interest in the current Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool, he was still available at 22-1 in the fixed-odds market at Caesars Sportsbook Nevada as of Saturday morning.

The UAE Derby is a 100-point race on the Europe-Middle East spur of the road to the Kentucky Derby, which in practice means that the race is an automatic qualifier.