Vekoma claimed the 2024 freshman sire title in a photo finish. Now, his first-crop daughter Five G is bringing some of his connections back to the big stage.

New York-bred Five G was a game second in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes, then won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks to emphatically punch her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks. The filly, trained like her sire by George Weaver, races as a homebred for Gatsas Stables. Gatsas co-owned Vekoma with R.A. Hill Stable during his racing career.

Into Mischief has already firmly written himself into the history of the American stallion ranks, with his six consecutive sire titles the most in more than a half-century. Now, he is looking to write another chapter as the first stallion since the 1950s to sire three Kentucky Derby winners, which would tie him for the all-time record.

History says that a horse with a turf background or pedigree can run well on the Churchill Downs dirt, including in the Kentucky Derby. Animal Kingdom made his first start on dirt winning the 2011 Derby, and 2006 hero Barbaro had been a stakes winner on turf as a juvenile before moving to dirt. Big Brown (2008), Mine That Bird (2009), and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (2015) also were early-career winners on turf or synthetic surfaces before moving to dirt.

Tiz the Law was a Grade 1 winner at age 2 who won a classic at 3. Those closest to him in his current career as a stallion say his progeny show similar progression, and that means exciting things could be in store for Tiztastic, who represents his sire’s first crop in the Kentucky Derby.

Tiztastic

Colt by Tiz the Law – Keesha, by Tapit

Bred in Kentucky by Capital Bloodstock ($80,000 Keeneland January short yearling purchase by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, agent; $335,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by M.V. Magnier and Ron Winchell)

A lineup of Thoroughbreds competing this week in Kentucky represents stallions like classic sire Malibu Moon and stalwarts Flatter and Prized. They’ve been bred by prominent domestic and international entities like Betz Thoroughbreds, Machmer Hall, Nawara Stud, Poindexter Thoroughbreds, Sycamore Hall, and Patrice Wolfson.

But these Thoroughbreds won’t be squaring off in a graded stakes race at Keeneland or Churchill Downs. Rather, they’re set to compete in the Kentucky five-star and four-star three-day events from Thursday-Sunday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Chunk of Gold

Preservationist – Play for Gold, by Cairo Prince

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones ($2,500 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling purchase by Chris Melton)

Louisiana Derby runner-up Chunk of Gold has never been worse than second and has already earned back more than 139 times his modest purchase price. The colt, a May foal, is from a steady, serviceable pedigree – a good description of Chunk of Gold himself.