Expensive Vekoma Colt Goes Wire To Wire to Graduate at Old Hilltop

3rd-Pimlico, $50,960, Msw, 5-17, 3, 4, 5/6yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.80, gd, 5 1/2 lengths.
VARNEY (c, 3, Vekoma–Summer of Fun {SW & GISP, $306,671}, by Include), who cost a whopping $775,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, got the Preakness program off to a winning start for the Bob Baffert barn, leading every step of the way to break his maiden at career start number four late Saturday morning at Pimlico. Favored at 4-5 at post time stretching out to two turns off a fourth to his 'TDN Rising Star' stablemate and Preakness entrant Goal Oriented (Not This Time) in what has become a productive Santa Anita maiden Apr. 6, the dark bay colt had to be asked to go early on by Flavien Prat, but secured the lead passing under the wire for the first time, with third choice Energize (Medaglia d'Oro) doing the chasing. Last Man Standing (McKinzie), who was pulled out into the clear with about six furlongs to race, worked into the race nicely while covering ground four deep on the turn, but Varney was always firmly in front, and despite some wayward ways and gawking about in the stretch, came away to take it by 5 1/2 lengths. One of five winners from as many to race from his dam, a stakes winner and third in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Summer of Fun was acquired by Saudi Arabian interests for $35,000 in foal to Spendthrift's Rock Your World at Keeneland November in 2022 and produced a colt from the first crop by the Candy Ride (Arg) stallion in 2023. Sales history: $775,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 4-1-0-1, $42,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-By Talla Racing LLC, Spendthrift Farm LLC & St Elias Stables LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

Flavien Prat kept VARNEY ($3.60) on task and wins the 3rd at @PimlicoRC. @BobBaffert trains the three-year-old colt by @spendthriftfarm's Vekoma.

It's time for a Pick 4: https://t.co/ekE1MG5OIw pic.twitter.com/v28DMm2CdX

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