Vekoma's patience pays off with Nashua Stakes triumph

In his career debut at Belmont Park on Sept. 23, Vekoma blazed six furlongs in 1:08.93, good enough for a Beyer Speed Figure of 87 in that victory. On Sunday at Aqueduct, he successfully stretched out to a mile in the Grade 3, $200,000 Nashua, again winning by 1 3/4 lengths.

Trained by George Weaver and owned by Randy Hill and Gatsas Stables, the son of Candy Ride is not only quick but manageable. In the Nashua, he rated patiently just off early leaders Factor It In and Call Paul until jockey Manny Franco asked him to make his move nearing the stretch.

Vekoma took the lead outside horses in upper stretch while lugging in, but once straightened comfortably held off Network Effect, who had raced just to his inside until the quarter pole. It was seven lengths back to Call Paul in third.

"I was trying to make him switch leads because he was on the wrong lead," Franco said. "When he switched, he ran straight. It's only his second race.

"I like how he settled. He didn't pull me or get aggressive early on."

Franco won three races at Aqueduct on Sunday, including the day’s other stakes, the $100,000 Awad.

Vekoma paid $6.10 as a slight favorite over U S Navy Cross, who finished fourth after dropping far back early.

The Nashua fractions of 22.53 and 45.29 were quick for Aqueduct on Sunday. Vekoma completed the course in 1:36.62 following a six-furlong time of 1:10.60.

"We expected him to run well, it was just a question of if he could get the mile distance," Weaver said. "Manny gave him a good ride sitting third behind a solid pace."

Weaver said that Vekoma would be pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen, a 1 1/8-mile race for 2-year-olds at Aqueduct on Dec. 1.

Vekoma, a $135,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September sale, is out of the Speightstown mare Mona de Momma, who in 2010 won the Grade 1 Humana Distaff going six furlongs at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Las Flores going 6 1/2 furlongs over a synthetic track at Santa Anita.