Vekoma filly unleashes huge rally for first stakes win

Have Faith overcame a 10-length deficit in the final half-mile to win the $135,000 Southern Hospitality S. Apr. 24 at Oaklawn Park to give the 3-year-old Vekoma filly her first stakes win.

She is the sixth stakes winner this year for the nation’s leading Third-Crop sire, who tops the list by winners, progeny earnings, stakes winners, and stakes horses.

Have Faith is normally well off the leaders early in her races, and Friday’s six-furlong sprint was no exception. She dropped back to last in the field of six, giving Sina a 10-length head start.

After a half-mile of :46.05, Have Faith had cut the margin in half and was rallying strongly turning for home. She made her way between horses before diving to the rail, catching Sina inside the final furlong, then holding off Carolyncaroline to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:10.67 on a sloppy racetrack.

Owned by Holy Cow Stable LLC, Have Faith is 2-3-0 in seven starts and has earned $176,823. The dark bay filly was bred in Kentucky by Buck Pond Farm.

Vekoma will have numerous chances to add to his Third-Crop totals in the upcoming week, with more than 15 runners entered, topped by Alpyland in the May 2^nd American Turf (G1) and Lovely Grey in the May 1^st Edgewood S. (G2), both at Churchill Downs.