Vekoma’s Bottas wins third straight stakes in Keeneland’s Bryan Station (G2)

Bottas extended his stakes-winning streak to three Saturday at Keeneland with a brilliant performance in the $400,000 Bryan Station S. (G2).

The 3-year-old son of Vekoma started his current roll with a win in the Hall of Fame S. (G2) in early August at Saratoga, then shipped to Kentucky Downs to score a lucrative win in the $2 million Gun Runner S. He is one of six graded stakes winners this year by Vekoma, who leads the Third-Crop Sire list with over $13 million in progeny earnings.

Bottas actually broke on top in Saturday’s one-mile turf race before settling into fifth while racing along the rail. Conducted led the field through a half-mile in :47.21, with Bottas travelling comfortably about five lengths from the front.

Around the turn, Bottas moved between horses and was up to third after swinging off the rail turning for home. With Conducted squarely in his sights, Bottas powered by the pacesetter just inside the final furlong marker and won going away by 2 ¼-lengths in 1:35.13 on a “good” turf course.

“First off, I’d like to give (trainer) Miguel (Clement) all the credit,” said jockey Tyler Gaffalione. “He brought this horse over here ready. He fired big for us. He broke alertly, put himself in the right spot and traveled like a winner throughout. He just had to wait and find the room, and when he did he really exploded.”

Bottas, who won the Pilgrim (G2) last year for his first graded win, is now 5-0-1 in eight starts and has earned $1,681,563 for his owner Dahman. The dark bay colt, bred in Kentucky by BCS Thoroughbreds, sold for $300,000 at the 2025 OBS April 2-year-old sale.