Breeders' Cup Sprint: Weaver sees distance as no problem for Vekoma
Vekoma has won challenge races for both the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The question that remains is which race trainer George Weaver will choose for the Carter and Metropolitan handicap winner, who has not started since July 4 and has flown under the radar lately while preparing for the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 7 at Keeneland in relative anonymity at the Oklahoma training center at Saratoga.
“It’s an interesting decision to have to make,” Weaver said on Monday. “I plan to pre-enter him in both races and in reality, I believe he can win both. I’m not afraid of anybody. It’s just a matter of what distance suits him better and I’m thinking that’s six furlongs, not a two-turn mile. So at the moment, I’m leaning towards the Sprint pretty strongly.”
Vekoma has not started since his super impressive, 1 1/2-length victory over a stellar field in the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap on July 4. He won the Grade 1 Carter going seven furlongs by a widening 7 1/4 lengths four weeks earlier, both of those races coming at Belmont Park. He captured the seven-furlong Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park by 3 3/4 lengths in his only other outing this season.
“I’m not really concerned about the layoff, it’s just four months,” said Weaver. “I don’t think horses lose that much fitness in four months. He had a little foot issue that cost us a start, but he never missed all that much training time. Maybe one period of about nine days when he didn’t go to the track, just a little bit of stop and go, while waiting for the foot to heal.”
Vekoma has had six works, all over the Oklahoma training track, since resuming a regular schedule in August, the latest five furlongs in 1:01.28 with Weaver’s wife and assistant, Cindy, aboard.
“It was a very solid work for the Oklahoma track,” Weaver said. “He wasn’t blowing at all coming back from the work. This track isn’t as deep as it used to be, but it’s still got a lot of surface on top and they still get a lot out of the works. What’s most important is that we’re doing the same thing we did, keeping him at home as long as we can, before he went to Keeneland to win the Blue Grass last year.”
As for Vekoma turning back to six furlongs for the first time since he won his career debut at Belmont as a 2-year-old in September 2018, Weaver sees no problem whatsoever.
“He’s run six furlongs only once and ran 1:08 and change as a 2-year-old,” said Weaver. “I don’t anticipate him going to the front at six furlongs, but if things go the way I envision, I expect to see him in good position not far off the lead going into the turn.”
◗ Like Weaver, trainer Bill Mott also appears to be leaning toward the Sprint over the Filly and Mare Sprint for Frank’s Rockette, who has won her last four starts, including the Grade 2 Prioress and Gallant Bloom. Mott told Daily Racing Form’s David Grening on Sunday that the distance would be the key reason for that decision.
The Sprint is decided at six furlongs; the Filly and Mare Sprint at seven-eighths. The $2 million purse for the Sprint is also twice that of its filly counterpart.