Vekoma’s Bottas hits finish line first in Saratoga’s Hall of Fame S. (G2)

Bottas unleashed a three-wide run at the top of the stretch to drive past the pacesetters in the final furlong of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2) Friday at Saratoga to give the 3-year-old son of Vekoma his second career graded stakes win.

Vekoma, the leading Third-Crop Sire of 2026, has six graded winners this year and 16 lifetime.

Bottas was always well-positioned in the one-mile turf affair. He was patiently ridden in the early stages, sitting in fourth through the first five furlongs. In the three-path on the final bend, Bottas got within two lengths of the lead turning for home. The dark bay found his best stride in midstretch, rolling past Blinging It Back to go on to win by 1 ½-lengths.

“I’m convinced he does stay a little bit farther,” trainer Miguel Clement said of Bottas. “If you watch his last race, he was impeded and crowded the whole way and was only beaten a length and a half in the (nine furlong) Belmont Derby.”

Winner of the Pilgrim S. (G2) last year, Bottas is now 3-0-1 in six starts and has earned $461,000 for owner Dahman. Bred in Kentucky by BCS Thoroughbreds, Bottas is a half-brother to 2024 Affirmed Stakes winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Parenting.