Faster Gator Latest Success for Second-Crop Sire Vekoma

On Nov. 24, Faster Gator took the Steel Valley Sprint Stakes at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, earning his first black-type victory. In doing so, he also became the 18th individual stakes winner for his sire Vekoma, who now has a more than $4 million lead on the North American second-crop sire list. Vekoma (Candy Ride (ARG)), who was also the leading freshman sire of 2024, is represented by 16 first-crop stakes winners, some way short of the astonishing first-crop record of 25 Northern Hemisphere stakes winners set by Uncle Mo, but just one behind the previous record established by Hard Spun. He also already has two stakes winners from his second crop of 2-year-olds A son of Candy Ride—also sire of Gun Runner—Vekoma initially campaigned as more of a middle-distance horse, winning the 2018 Nashua Stakes (G3) at 2, and the 2019 Blue Grass Stakes (G2), before going 3-for-3, including the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Carter Handicap (G1) as a sprinter/miler at 4. That versatility is coming through in his runners, and six of his stakes winners have scored at 1 1/16 miles or more. So, far he has four grade 2 scorers. Praying, Five G, Mad House, and Bottas, and a quartet of grade 3 winners, Golden Vekoma, Vixen, Bracket Buster, and Jonathan's Way. He's working over quite a variety of strains, but we can note two stakes winners out of mares by Bernardini, and one out of a mare by the similarly bred Tapit (as well another out of a mare by a son of Tapit), and two out of other A.P. Indy-line mares; two stakes winners out of mares by Indian Charlie; two out of mares by sons of Storm Cat, and one by a grandson of that horse; and two from his own broodmare sire line, that of Gone West (one by Munnings, giving Speightstown 3x3). In second, as he was on the freshman table, is McKinzie (Street Sense). He has an interesting link to Vekoma as his and Vekoma's dam, Mona de Momma, are both Mr. Prospector line, and the granddams of Street Sense and Vekoma are half sisters, both sired by Ribot-line stallions. McKinzie is fourth through Nov. 24 by individual stakes winners with eight, but more significantly he has three individual grade 1 winners: 2024 Champagne and Hopeful stakes (both G1) winner Chancer McPatrick; Scottish Lassie, winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) and 2024 Frizette Stakes; and Baeza, who won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1). McKinzie has a fourth graded scorer in the Summertime Oaks (G3) scorer, Cash Call. Chancer McPatrick is out of a mare by Bernardini, and McKinzie also has a stakes winner out of a mare by a son of Tapit. Scottish Lassie's dam is a daughter of Bodemeister (Empire Maker/Unbridled line), and Baeza is out of the great mare Puca (by Big Brown, from the Danzig line), dam also of classic winners Mage and Dornoch. There are also already seven stakes horses out of Storm Cat line mares, including Cash Call and fellow stakes winner Not Too Late. In third, we find Tiz the Law (Constitution), winner of the 2019 Champagne Stakes at 2, and Belmont Stakes (G1), Travers Stakes (G1), and Florida Derby (G1) at 3. He's already been represented by 11 stakes winners, six graded. His highest earner is the intensely inbred Louisiana Derby (G2) scorer Tiztastic, who has his own broodmare sire, Tapit, 3x2. Tapit is out of a mare by Unbridled, and from the Empire Maker branch of that line, Tiz the Law has the 2024 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) scorer Scythian out of a mare by Empire Maker himself, and stakes winner Spirit Doll is out of a mare by Empire Maker grandson, Cairo Prince. Meanwhile, Mother Goose Stakes (G2) victress Fully Subscribed is out of a mare by another Fappiano-line horse, Candy Ride. There are also stakes winners out of mares by Street Cry and his son, Street Sense, and Into Mischief—whose daughters have been doing well under Pulpit-line stallions in general—and his sire, Harlan's Holiday. The 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) sits in fourth. The 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner was represented by five first-crop stakes winners, headed by the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) captor, Rodriguez. There is already a pair of graded stakes winners in the second crop, Iron Orchard, successful in the Frizette Stakes, and Brave Deb, who took the Surfer Girl Stakes (G3T). Iron Orchard is out of mare by Distorted Humor's son Brethren, making her a product of the established Into Mischief-Distorted Humor cross. Another Authentic stakes winner, Reagan's Wit, is out of a mare by Sunday Break, who is by Distorted Humor's sire, Forty Niner. Rodriguez is out of a Cherokee Run (Blushing Groom line) mare who has bred a pair of Into Mischief stakes winners. Authentic is out of a mare by Mr. Greeley, a very close relative to the dam of Vekoma, and a half brother to the granddam of fellow Mr. Prospector-line horse, Street Sense, and Authentic's graded winner Brave Deb is out of a Street Sense mare. Grade 1-winning sprinter Volatile (Violence) completes the top five. He has four stakes winners, all from his first crop, including Indiana Derby (G3) captor and grade 1-placed Tip Top Thomas (dam by Consolidator, a son of Storm Cat), recent Pebbles Stakes (G3T) victress Fast Market (dam by Street Cry), and Southwest Stakes (G3) winner Speed King (dam by Corinthian, a son of Pulpit, from the family of Volatile's male-line ancestor, Sadler's Wells). Despite starting at a modest $12,500 stud fee, 2018 Champagne Stakes winner Complexity (Maclean's Music) is second only to Vekoma in this group by individual stakes winners with 12, 10 from his first crop. These including Black Forza (dam by Harlan's Holiday), who took the 2024 Richmond Stakes (G2) in England; the 2024 Sanford Stakes (G3) and Ohio Derby (G3) winner Mo Plex (Uncle Mo); Innovative (Tizway), successful in the John C. Harris Stakes (G3T); and this year's Futurity Stakes (G3T) winner, Intricate Spirit (Curlin). There are also four stakes winners out of mares from the male line of A.P. Indy, himself from the same sire line Complexity's broodmare sire, Yes It's True. The second son of Into Mischief on the list, Instagrand is third to Vekoma and Authentic by individual winners, and has five stakes winners, although none graded. The late Improbable (City Zip) has eight stakes winners, seven from his first crop, and one graded, the Quick Call Stakes (G3T) winner Governor Sam (Into Mischief). Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner of 2020 Honor A. P. (Honor Code) has five black-type winners, four in his first crop, and he's another whose top runner, George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) heroine, Margie's Intention, is out of an Into Mischief mare. Top regional horse is War of Will (War Front), the 2019 Preakness Stakes winner moving from Kentucky to New York in 2026. Of those who started in a regional market, Honest Mischief in New York has six stakes winners; Win Win Win (Hat Trick) leads in Florida. His trio of black-type scorers includes California juvenile graded winner Nooni (Union Rags). And in Louisiana, Aurelius Maximus (Pioneerof the Nile) is making waves with six black-type winners from 42 starters.