Vekoma

A gelding by Spendthrift Farm stallion Vekoma topped the 2025 CTHS Alberta Thoroughbred Sale which closed Friday, Sept. 19. Bought for $70,000 by Norm Tremblay as agent, the colt, named Vekoma's Pride, was consigned by Doug Obert and was the highest priced yearling sold in Alberta since 2015, the sale noted. 73 yearlings sold for a gross of $1,024,600, a 47% increase over the 2024 gross of $699,000. Additionally, the average rose 12% to $14,036 and the median also increased to $10,000. The RNA rate was 10%. Other tops hips...

Just One More (English Channel) ran for purse-money only in the 11th race at the Belmont Big A meet Saturday after there was a scratch discrepancy between the tote system and the Talking Horses broadcast, NYRA announced. Stewards were alerted to an issue while runners were in the paddock for the race. Earlier Saturday, Just One More appeared as scratched during a portion of the morning broadcast despite not having been scratched in the tote system at any point. The stewards determined the Horacio De Paz trainee would run for...

She didn't have the greatest of beginnings, but 'TDN Rising Star' Ragtime (Union Rags) was flying late to nail the top flight and take home the hardware in the GIII Dogwood Stakes. Racing without blinkers here, Ragtime broke a touch awkwardly and it left her with a lot to do as she found herself at the back of the field as a result. 'TDN Rising Star' Delightful Claire (Vekoma) stepped out to dictate the pace through an opening quarter in :22.84 and a half in :45.55, and was well clear...

Keeneland September may be winding down time-wise with only one session remaining, but the momentum from the record-breaking sale continued in kind Friday in the 11th session with an 88.57% increase in through-the-ring sales. The session's top price belonged to a colt by Vekoma (hip 4190) as bloodstock agent Mahmud Mouni's buying spree continued. Bred by Seven Springs Farm and consigned by Almar Farm, the colt sold for $220,000 as one of the last hips through the ring Friday. Out of an unplaced Mizzen Mast mare, he is a half-brother...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There is no time for real celebration and there certainly isn't time to feel sorry for oneself. In horse racing, the game just keeps going on. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had first-hand experience of that Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. Just before 2 p.m., he was elated and crushed in the same race, the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Just over an hour later, he had to push those emotions to the side and saddle a 2-year-old in a $100,000 maiden special weight....

Starting Saturday's graded stakes action off in style, Praying (Vekoma), the longest shot on the board at 21-1, sprung the upset over 'TDN Rising Star' Delightful Claire (Thousand Words) in the GIII Prioress Stakes at Saratoga. Stakes-placed as a juvenile in the Myrtlewood at Keeneland as  a juvenile, this $410,000 OBS April grad came off a four-month layoff to grab another stakes placing in the Southern Hospitality Overnight Stakes at Oaklawn in March. The promise of that start went unfulfilled however when Praying broke through the gate in her most...

A sixteenth of a mile into Friday's seventh race at Saratoga, the race looked to be over. The hot first-time starter Schwarzenegger (Not This Time) broke like a rocket and immediately extended his lead down the backstretch. He opened up by six and was still well in front at the eighth-pole. But the first-time starter Attfield (Vekoma) was closing fast on the rail and ran down Schwarzenegger by a neck under Dylan Davis. It was not what the bettors expected as Attfield went off at 23-1 and Schwarzenegger was pounded...

7th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-29, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.31, fm, neck. ATTFIELD (c, 2, Vekoma--Graceful Witch, by Street Boss), the third longest shot on the board at 23-1, sprung the upset Friday in his career debut. Patiently handled early as 3-5 favorite Schwarzenegger (Not This Time) said "hasta la vista baby" to the field and opened up a sizeable advantage, Attfield split the group in fourth while making steady progress along the inside. With a quarter mile to run and the favorite still well clear but drifting out into the center...

A slate of 65 offerings were catalogued for the Inglis Digital USA September Sale, led by a number of runners coming off of successful racetrack performances and the broodmare Earth Shaking (War Front), a half-sister to the dam of GISW Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), the organization announced via press release. The aforementioned daughter of War Front will be offered not in-foal and ready for mating. All five of Earth Shaking's foals to make the races have gotten their picture taken. Another of the broodmare offerings is Jill's a Hot Mess (Laoban),...

With a name like Will Happen (Vekoma--Walk of Fame, by Scat Daddy) you would think that a 'TDN Rising Star' would be in the offing. Of course, the filly had to sparkle in the fifth at Del Mar to earn her badge and sparkle she did. The 2-year-old turned and burned in her maiden-breaking debut on Sunday. A $210,000 OBS March breezer (see Alan Carasso's Summer Breezes), the first-time starter was sent off as the 2-1 choice here. At the bell, Will Happen looked like a sharp stick and had...

Continuing to dominate her division, Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) shrugged off the talented yet lightly-raced Formula Rossa (Vekoma) to win her second consecutive GIII Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar. The race was also part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series heading toward the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, that will be run at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Sweet Azteca's victory earned her an additional $15,000 toward the $30,000 entrance fee for the $1-million race. The 2-5 choice broke cleanly from the outside and came...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Sunday at Saratoga, Ellis Park and Del Mar.  Sunday,...