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Vekoma’s Weekend Princess Bounds Clear To Become A ‘TDN Rising Star’

| 6:28 pm

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Weekend Princess (Vekoma), a $235,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $625,000 Keeneland September yearling, argued a good pace inside of firming favorite Confidentiality (Complexity) and found more in the final furlong and a half to graduate by a space en route to being named a ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard.

The even-money choice, drawn widest of a field reduced to six by a couple of scratches, pinged the stalls and led them through the opening exchanges, but Florent Geroux was urging Weekend Princess along, and the two eventually paired off through a quarter-mile in a sharp :22.06.

By virtue of being stuck down to the inside of Confidentiality for the run around the turn, Weekend Princess was arguably doing it much the tougher of the two, but she nevertheless struck to the front with three-eighths of a mile to run.

Confidentiality had no real response and when Weekend Princess was popped the question in earnest in upper stretch, she strode confidently clear to score impressively. The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:04.22.

It was the second maiden allowance winner on the program for Vekoma, adding to the victory of Rethink in race one going six furlongs on the grass.

Dam Alemia, a half-sister to 2016 GIII Senorita Stakes victress Stays In Vegas (City Zip) and listed winner Miss Technicality (Gio Ponti), was offered with this filly in utero at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale, but was ultimately led out unsold on a bid of $170,000. That looked a wise decision when Weekend Princess went through the ring herself the following November and the results were even more spectacular at KEESEP.

The pedigree is live in the third dam, as Just Reward is the dam of GI Personal Ensign Stakes winner Persistently (Smoke Glacken), whose daughter W Heart Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) beat the boys in the 2025 G1 Champions Stakes and was third, beaten a length, in last month’s G1 February Stakes. Just Reward is herself a half-sister to GISW Good Reward and GSW Pure Prize.

Weekend Princess is the eighth ‘TDN Rising Star’ for her Spendthrift-based stallion.

5th-Santa Anita, $70,500, Msw, 3-20, 3yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.22, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
WEEKEND PRINCESS, f, 3, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Alemia, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Double Jackpot, by Broken Vow
3rd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
Sales history: $235,000 Wlg ’23 KEENOV; $625,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-John McCormack (KY); T-Bob Baffert.