Blue Grass winner Vekoma targeting March return

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Vekoma, unraced since finishing 13th (and being placed 12th) in the Kentucky Derby last May, is being pointed to a return to action “in the back half of March,” said trainer George Weaver.

Vekoma posted his first two works on Jan. 20 and 28 since resuming training at Palm Beach.

“We’ll start getting into more serious training now,” said Weaver. “I’m sure we’ll start him back in a one-turn race, probably going six or seven furlongs.”

Vekoma, a 4-year-old Candy Ride colt, is owned by Randy Hill and Gatsas Stables. In his two starts before the Derby, he was third in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream and won the Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Six-figure Rainbow 6 score

In only the second day of Gulfstream action since the Rainbow 6 was subjected to a mandatory disbursement of a massive pool last Sunday, the jackpot was emptied again Thursday when a solo winning ticket hit for $103,243. The winners’ odds in the six-race sequence were 16-1, 6-1, 7-2, 4-1, 9-1, and 14-1.

Among those Thursday winners was Bacchanalia ($20.60) in the race-9 feature. The 4-year-old Union Rags filly rallied powerfully to take a 1 3/16-mile turf allowance, ending a modest losing streak for the reigning four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The 12 prior starters for Brown had been defeated, including eight betting favorites.

◗ The lone stakes next weekend at Gulfstream is the Grade 3, $150,000 Suwannee River, to be run Saturday at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares. At least a few Gulfstream jockeys intend to ride at Tampa the same day on a four-stakes card highlighted by the Sam F. Davis, including Jose Ortiz, Tyler Gaffalione, and Julien Leparoux.