Vekoma soars to top of freshman sire ranks with impressive runners

Vekoma shot to the top of the current freshman sire standings with a pair of impressive debut winners and some other noteworthy performers over the past several days.

Vekoma, who stands at Spendthrift Farm, was represented by debut winners Louisiana Jess and Viggiedal on June 14 at Churchill Downs, as well as Praying, a runner-up on that same card. His most impressive performance of the weekend may have come from runner-up Colloquial, on the June 15 card at Aqueduct. After Mentee – the full brother to champion juvenile Fierceness – opened up a five-length lead in the stretch, Colloquial nearly reeled that colt in, missing by a nose. With Mentee stopping the clock in a course record 56.97 for the five furlongs, both colts earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88, the top mark for a juvenile thus far this year.

Vekoma, by Candy Ride, was a graded stakes winner around two turns at ages 2 and 3 before burnishing his stallion résumé at age 4, with Grade 1 wins in the Carter Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap. His first crop was well received at the sales: His 114 yearlings sold at auction last year averaged $96,825, well over four times the advertised stud fee of $20,000 on which they were conceived. Now, his runners are starting to deliver on that promise. From 10 starters through June 16, Vekoma is represented by six individual winners, and his progeny earnings total $268,341.

Complexity, standing at Airdrie Stud, currently sits second to Vekoma by both winners and earnings. From 12 starters, he has four individual winners – including French Horn, who came back from her debut win to finish third in the Astoria Stakes – and his runners have earned $257,339.

Complexity, winner of the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes as a juvenile and a Grade 2 winner as an older horse, added a well-bred winner to his own arsenal of runners eyeing summer stakes on June 14 at Aqueduct, as Complexion won on debut. The filly is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Jack Christopher.

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