Met Mile hero Vekoma to join strong roster at Spendthrift Farm

Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Vekoma.

The four-year-old son of Candy Ride captured the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on Saturday, staking his claim as one of North America’s top racehorses in 2020.

"We are extremely excited about Vekoma and his future as a stallion. It’s not often you see an elite racehorse that is by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager.

“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 two to four.

"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."

Trained by George Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma has been one of the top racehorses in his crop, capturing graded stakes wins at two, three and four.

This year, he has been perfect in three starts at three different racetracks, kicking off his four-year-old season with a victory in Gulfstream’s Sir Shackleton Stakes and earning his first Grade 1 in the form of a dazzling win in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct.

An earner of $1,245,525 to date, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. He is out of the Speightstown mare Mona de Momma, who scored her biggest win as a racehorse in the Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill.

Vekoma is the third Met Mile winner in the last four years that will take up stud duty at Spendthrift. Mor Spirit, the 2017 winner, and Mitole, the 2019 winner, both stand at the historic Lexington-based farm.

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