Vekoma Rides jumps into deep end of the pool in Champagne

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer John Kimmel knows all too well what his debut winner Vekoma Rides is up against in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne at Aqueduct.

Kimmel was part of the bloodstock company that helped buy Chancer McPatrick for Sean Flanagan at the OBS April sale for $725,000. Chancer McPatrick won his debut at Saratoga, then came back to win the Grade 1 Hopeful for Flanagan and trainer Chad Brown.

At the OBS June sale, Kimmel purchased Vekoma Rides for different clients – Nedlaw Stable, Denholtz Stables, Dennis Drazin, and Jerold Zaro – who gave the horse to Kimmel to train. Vekoma Rides, a son of the white-hot sire Vekoma who brought $150,000 at the OBS June auction, won his debut by five lengths at Aqueduct on Sept. 14. Without many options, Kimmel decided to enter him back on relatively short rest against Chancer McPatrick in the Champagne.

“This time of year you don’t have a chance to go through the proper procedures,” Kimmel said, referring to the lack of allowance options for juveniles. “We’ve always liked this colt, he showed pretty well when he ran, and he won with plenty left in the gas tank. Kendrick [Carmouche] was always optimistic about this horse being able to run a mile.”

Kimmel knows that even though Chancer McPatrick has had just one more race than Vekoma Rides, the experience he gained from it – hitting the side of the gate, jockey Flavien Prat losing his irons, and having to take some dirt – was invaluable.

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“Chancer is an exceptional horse. This horse still has to prove himself in those adversarial situations,” Kimmel said.

The Champagne, which offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1, drew a field of 10. Vekoma Rides drew post 6 and will be ridden again by Carmouche. Chancer McPatrick, under Prat, drew post 10.

Also entered were J J Zo Zo, Tip Top Thomas, Lethal Speed, Mo Plex, Uncaged, Smoken Wicked, Colonel Bob, and Executive Order. It was expected that Uncaged would be cross-entered Monday in the Breeders’ Futurity.

The Champagne is one of four stakes – two Grade 1s – to be offered on Saturday’s 12-race card that will begin at 12:05 p.m.

The Grade 1 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies, also drew 10, and is topped by Senza Parole, who won her debut by 7 3/4 lengths over next-out winner Stunner.

Social Fortress, seven-length winner of the Sorority at Monmouth Park for trainer Jamie Ness, is part of the Frizette field as are Snowyte, The Queens M G, Pondering, Whatintheliteral, Scottish Lassie, Paradise City, Another Cleeshay, and Icona Mama.

Saturday’s card includes the Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby and the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint.

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