Vekoma colt very impressive in Saratoga maiden debut

Bottas showed an explosive turn of foot in the Saratoga stretch to win his debut going away by 2 ¼-lengths in the 1 1/16-mile turf contest for 2-year-olds.

The dark bay son of Vekoma was named a TDN ‘Rising Star’ after the sparkling effort. Vekoma has 78 individual winners to date, which is more than 20 above any other Second-Crop sire this term.

Bottas, trained by Miguel Clement for Dahman, was reserved in last for the majority of Saturday’s two-turn race. When finally unleashed by Flavien Prat at the top of the stretch, he gobbled up the ground and rolled past the leaders inside the final furlong to win under a hand ride in 1:41.70 on the firm turf.

Bottas was bred in Kentucky by BCS Thoroughbreds and sold for $300,000 at the 2025 OBS Spring 2-year-old sale. Bottas is a half-brother to Affirmed S. winner Parenting and is out of Iadorakid, who is a half-sister to Sovereign Award and Woodbine Mile winner El Tormenta (G1) as well as Grade 3-winning turf sprinter Zero Tolerance.