Mad House wins G2 Gallant Bob to become Vekoma’s 15th first-crop BT Winner, 6th GSW

Champion freshman sire Vekoma’s incredible first crop continues to reach new heights with each passing week, as he garnered his 15th black type winner and 6th graded stakes winner when 3yo colt dashed to victory over a quality field in the $400,000 Gallant Bob S. (G2) on Pennsylvania Derby day at Parx Racing.

Mad House set electric fractions of 21.58 and 43.94 in the top six-furlong contest for 3-year-olds in North America, before turning back all challengers and increasing his lead in the stretch to hit the wire 2 3/4 lengths in front. He stopped the clock in a sizzling 1:08.77 – the fastest winning time in the race since champion Jackie’s Warrior (1:08.64) in 2021.

The win marked the fourth in a row and first against stakes company for Mad House, who has now emerged into one of the leading 3-year-old sprinters in North America. Bred by Jean White, Wavertree Farm & SGV Thoroughbreds, LLC, the fast chestnut has earned $281,815 to date for owner James Thares and trainer David VanWinkle.

The win also represents the 12th black type-winning 3-year-old in 2025 from that tremendous first crop of Vekoma, ranking the red-hot sire at No. 1 by 3-year-old black type winners in all of North America – ahead of Into Mischief’s 10.

The reigning champion First-Crop Sire of 2024 and runaway leading Second-Crop Sire in 2025, Vekoma ranks second only to Into Mischief by 3-year-old earnings among all North American sires in 2025, and he’s already Top 12 on the General Sires List despite his first full crop to race only being 3-year-olds.