Vekomamona continues to improve
LAUREL, MD—Horse racing is a rare venture in which the plebeian and the patrician stand shoulder to shoulder, either rooting for their selections from the rail or bidding on prospects in the auction ring.
So it was with Plentyof Rogue’s debut at Laurel three weeks ago. A $4,500 yearling by Rogueish, Plentyof Rogue entered the gate alongside $1 million purchase Card Shark and $425,000 juvenile Frustrated.
Plentyof Rogue had the misfortune of facing Frustrated, who ran the fastest six-furlong heat of the current meet, but the plucky colt rallied in the final sixteenth to finish second, a length ahead of Card Shark.
Plentyof Rogue earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure in that race, not bad for a first-time starter.
“He finished so strongly that day, and [jockey] Wesley [Ho] did a great job with him, not panicking, staying with him, and keeping him going. I think the light went on around the sixteenth pole,” said trainer Justin Nixon.
This afternoon, Plentyof Rogue faced no rival like Frustrated. Ridden again by Ho, the bay settled into the pocket behind his three foes in a six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and upward, found a seam between horses turning into the stretch, and poured it on to win by 5 ½ lengths in 1:11.40 on the sealed, muddy track.
Fort Griffin led early with fractions of 22.67 and 46.60, then finished second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Scrutinator. Wyatt’s Way trailed.
“He’s come a long way,” Ho said. “He’s a quick learner. He handled the mud great today. I really didn’t have to ask him too much. He finished very well. I’m very pleased with the way he’s handled things.”
Plentyof Rogue, 8-1 in his debut, paid $2.80 today as the overwhelming favorite. Secret Notion and Mythical Magic scratched.
“He was loaded around the turn like he was a lot more into it,” Nixon said. “The first start, you could see him going through the motions the first half a mile.”
Bred in Florida by Edward Seltzer, Plentyof Rogue is owned by Lanis Legacy LLC. Nixon trained Plentyof Rogue’s dam, Sparkle Plenty, an Uncle Mo mare who finished a close second in her only career start. Her second dam, Sparkling Review, was a Grade 2 winner at longer turf distances.
Plentyof Rogue didn’t race at two because “he had a lot of baby issues because he was so big,” Nixon said. “He’s almost got too nice [of a mind]. As a young horse, he was like a teenager not wanting to get out of bed. You had to [work] him in company to get him to do something. He’s a very easygoing type of horse. I’m just really, really happy with him that it came together today. Even early on, I thought he had a lot of talent.”
Noting Sparkling Review’s ability on turf, Nixon said, “Ultimately, we’re going to try him on the grass, but we’re not going to change anything [right now].”
*Vekomamona continues to improve
Vekomamona continues to develop physically and mentally, and she reached the winner’s circle in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for juvenile fillies.
Trained by Jerry Robb for Mens Grille Racing and ridden by Xavier Perez, Vekomamona can be a handful. Robb brought her into the paddock early, and she looked the part, giving Perez confidence.
“This filly, she’s got a really hard temperament,” he said. “Her attitude is really feisty. The first time she ran, she was a wreck. She was so sweaty, washing out. Then, the second time, she improved a little. Today, when I walked to the paddock, I saw she was calm. There were a lot of horses in that paddock, and she wasn’t worried. Once we got onto the track, she took a couple of deep breaths, and the pony girl talked to her the whole way. Her mindset changed, and she relaxed. By the time she got to the gate, she was as cool as a cucumber.”
Vekomamona broke well, and Perez guided her to the inside to track the pace from a loose pocket, while Menina Bonita set a 22.93 opening fraction.
Loop D Loop was the first to confront the pacesetter, and they raced the opening half in 47.28 seconds. Perez eased Vekomamona out to split foes entering the turn, and the filly followed Loop D Loop’s live cover.
Vekomamona swung around Loop D Loop, took the lead in the upper stretch, and held off Feroza’s late surge to win by 1 ½ lengths in 1:27.27. Feroza, far back early, ran on well for second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Curlene’s Joker. Riva Red, Menina Bonita, Loop D Loop, Street Vendetta, Atlantic Pearl, Zelly, and Noble Vintage followed. Unpause scratched.
Vekomamona returned $17 as the fifth choice.
Perez credited Vekomamona’s exercise rider for the filly’s improvement. “Every time the track is like this, he tells me she just glides over it. She’s a steady, grinding type of filly. When she broke well and settled behind the dirt, and I got her in the clear at the quarter pole, she kept going and going and going.”
Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz, Vekomamona is by Vekoma out of Margaree Harbour (by Flat Out). She sold for $40,000 as a yearling and was purchased for $55,000 this May by Mens Grille.
Vekomamona was green in her debut at Laurel on September 19, breaking awkwardly and passing tired horses despite not changing leads. She finished fifth on October 10, improving her Beyer Speed Figure by eight points.
Vekomamona has earned $31,020.
“Third time was the charm,” Perez said.
*Around the track:
Trainer Danny Eubanks saddled two winners on Friday’s card. Maxie’s Munny ($5.80) tracked from the pocket under Julio Hernandez before angling three wide to win the third race. Java Prince ($5.80) was a speedy winner of the seventh race under Jevian Toledo.
Live racing resumes Saturday with a ten-race program. Gates open at 11 am ET, and the first post time is 12:00 pm ET. Two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. Saturday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.
Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.
Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.
Visit the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center in Reisterstown on Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 8 pm for a special screening of “Pimlico from the Heart.” Produced by Eclipse Award-winning racing writer John Scheinmann and featuring fellow Eclipse Award-winning racing writer Vinnie Perrone, the film follows the two friends as they revisit the historic Pimlico racetrack one final time before its demolition, reminiscing about the horses, people, and events that made “Old Hilltop” so special. Reserve your spot here.