Vekoma to stand as stallion at Spendthrift Farm

Spendthrift Farm has acquired the future breeding rights to Vekoma, who captured the Grade 1 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap last Saturday at Belmont Park.

The Met Mile has a long reputation as a stallion-making race, and with this acquisition Spendthrift will now stand three of the last four winners of the race. The farm also stands 2017 winner Mor Spirit, who entered stud in 2019; and last year’s victor, Mitole, the Eclipse Award champion sprinter who entered stud in 2020.

The Metropolitan marked the fourth graded stakes score for Vekoma, who won the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes as a juvenile, the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes last year, and the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter Handicap last month. The son of Candy Ride is out of Grade 1 winner Mona de Momma and is from the female family of Kentucky Derby winner and champion Street Sense and two other successful sires in Mr. Greeley and Danehill Dancer.

“We are extremely excited about Vekoma and his future as a stallion,” Spendthrift general manger Ned Toffey said in a press release. “It’s not often you see an elite racehorse that is by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner. Vekoma is a terrific blend of his sire Candy Ride and his Speightstown dam Mona de Momma, showing brilliance from six furlongs to a mile and an eighth and from ages 2 to 4. There’s sire power throughout the pedigree, with Vekoma’s second dam being a sister to Mr. Greeley. You just will not find a better-bred son of Candy Ride. Vekoma proved he is one of the best horses in training with wins over good fields in the Carter and Met Mile, which have been two of the best performances we have seen this year. The combination of brilliance and pedigree is special.”