Vekoma Retired to Spendthrift Farm

Multiple grade 1-winning millionaire Vekoma  has been retired from racing and arrived at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm where the 4-year-old son of Candy Ride  will take up stud duty in 2021, the Lexington farm announced Nov. 8. His fee has been set at $20,000 stands and nurses.

This year's impressive winner of the Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1) and Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Vekoma was scratched as the morning-line favorite in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) 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's general manager. "On top of that, he is a grade 1 winner by a grade 1 winner and out of a grade 1 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.

"Anytime 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 Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma was one of the top racehorses in his crop, capturing graded stakes wins at 2, 3, and 4. After breaking his maiden at first asking in 1:08.93 at Belmont Park in September 2018, the talented chestnut stretched out to win the one-mile Nashua Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign. At 3, Vekoma jumped onto the Triple Crown trail, finishing third to Code of Honor in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park in his season debut. He went on to score a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, earning a berth into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

This year, Vekoma was 3-for-3, kicking off his 4-year-old season with a 3 3/4-length victory in the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream in March. Vekoma earned his first grade 1 score in the form of a dazzling 7 1/4-length win in the Carter at Belmont, earning a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure. He validated his Carter performance with a frontrunning win in the prestigious Met Mile, defeating grade 1 winners Code of Honor and McKinzie , among others, while stopping the clock in 1:32.88—just :0.15 off the stakes record for the 129-year-old fixture in New York.

An earner of $1,245,525, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. He is out of the Speightstown  mare Mona de Momma, who scored her biggest win in the Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Vekoma's second dam, Society Gal, is a half sister to successful sire Mr. Greeley.

Vekoma is the third Met Mile winner in the past 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.