Breeder Vegso Hopes for Another Winning Taj Mahal Trip

As an owner and breeder, Peter Vegso has been tied to some top horses—grade 1 winners—and May 16 he'll be cheering for his first classic victory as a breeder when undefeated, two-time stakes winner Taj Mahal starts in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park. While big horses and top stakes wins provide thrills, the publisher of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series comes back to racing and breeding year after year—first and foremost—because of his love of the horse. It puts him in the happiest of places. That's why Vegso, 82, laughs a bit when a reporter asks about his racing and breeding operations, as he doesn't view it as a business so much as pure enjoyment. He loves spending time in a corner room at his Ocala, Fla., family horse farm watching his Thoroughbreds, including about 17 mares, a dozen foals, and a number of retirees, including 26-year-old nine-time graded stakes winner Silver Tree. "The farm is absolutely my favorite place to be," Vegso said. "Mother Nature is the best; it makes you feel so good. I spend a lot of time thinking about horses—you never know what's in their mind, what they're thinking. Some of them clearly have a different mindset and can get so competitive, so good." The top horses still catch Vegso's fancy. Since initially buying an interest in a horse in 1988 with his wife, Anne, followed by the purchase of the Ocala farm in 1993, Vegso has had his share of success. Homebred grade 1 winners for Vegso include Go Between, Splendid Blended, and Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) winner Unrivaled Belle (co-bred and co-owned with Gary Seidler). As a breeder, Vegso Racing Stable also boasts 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Caledonia Road, champion 2-year-old filly of that season. Vegso nearly had a horse in the classics in 2023 when homebred Lord Miles won the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) but missed the Triple Crown races. Now another classic opportunity arrives. While Vegso won't make it to Laurel Park for the Preakness, he's looking forward to watching the race on television Saturday at his South Florida home. He and his family have been thrilled by the undefeated start by Taj Mahal. "Whoever came up with that name did a great job—what a name. My wife and I visited there a few years ago, and we have a picture of us standing in front of the Taj Mahal. The horse makes me think of the photo, and that trip; and the photo makes me think of the horse." Trained by Brittany Russell, the horse has quickly built some fond memories for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. Two weeks after Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) as a trainer, Russell will try to become the first woman to win the Preakness as a trainer. READ: Trainer Russell Goes for Preakness First with Taj Mahal Taj Mahal's prospects are promising. The son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist opened his racing career in February by closing from sixth to post a 4 1/4-length victory in a 6-furlong maiden special weight test. He then gamely edged Let's Go Lando for a narrow victory in the one-turn mile Miracle Wood Stakes before punching his Preakness ticket by rolling to an 8 1/4-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes—his first try at two turns in a natural progression of distances toward Saturday's 1 3/16-mile Preakness. And, it should be mentioned, all three of those starts were at Laurel Park—this year's temporary home of the Preakness. "It's been incredible to watch him win these races," Vegso said. "We're looking forward to Saturday. We've been fortunate so far." While success has come quickly on the track, patience was key in the breeding of Taj Mahal. He's out of stakes-placed winner Oola Gal, a daughter of Quality Road who boasts two winners from as many starters. Oola Gal also was bred by Vegso Racing Stable. Vegso raced her dam, Geisha Gal, a daughter of Agnes Tachyon who produced five winners, to a maiden and allowance win after purchasing her for $180,000 as a weanling at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. For her first mating, Oola Gal was sent to Nyquist and produced a 2021 colt. While the colt looked promising, he died as a yearling from equine wobbler syndrome. But the seed was planted and, after a trip to Hard Spun that produced winner Miss Ocala in 2022, they sent Oola Gal back to Nyquist, who stood that season for $55,000 at Darley Stallions near Lexington. Still at Darley, Nyquist's stud fee has rocketed to $175,000 this year. That mating produced Taj Mahal in 2023. And he would shine before ever reaching the track. At the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Donato Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stable went to $525,000 to land the bay colt consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. Vegso said that was a terrific price and they also were thrilled to see the colt go to one of the leading ownership groups in North America. He also took it as a good omen that the initials "SF" matched the initials of his college, Saint Francis Xavier University in Canada. "In this industry, you need some luck. Yes, there's a lot that goes into it and everyone does their best and put in the work, but the biggest factor might still be luck," Vegso said. "We got lucky big-time with this one." These days Vegso's son-in-law, Christian Blonshine, who is married to his daughter, Melinda, has taken a keen interest in Thoroughbred breeding. They live at the farm and Christian plans the matings and decides which foals to sell or race. From the group of foals, they sell the ones that look most likely to draw interest as young horses from buyers, while keeping the others to develop and race. Young horses are conditioned on the farms' training track, under the guidance of conditioner Arturo Rodriguez. Beyond the opportunity to become a breeder of a classic winner, a victory Saturday at Laurel also would be big for the entire operation as they have a full sister to Taj Mahal in the Fasig-Tipton May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in nearby Timonium, Md. Consigned by Top Line Sales, agent, the filly will be offered on May 19 as Hip 402. "Wouldn't it be something if Taj Mahal could win Saturday ahead of her going into the ring? That would be quite an update," Vegso said before really savoring the thought. "That would be remarkable, actually."