Jonathan’s Way, Vixen the first Breeders’ Cup starters for Vekoma
October 31, 2024
Vekoma, the leading First-Crop sire of 2024 by winners and stakes horses, will have his first Breeders’ Cup starters Friday at Del Mar with Vixen in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and Jonathan’s Way in the Juvenile (G1).
Vixen, trained by Mark Casse for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and D. J. Stable LLC, was beaten just a neck in the Sept. 14 Natalma S. (G1) at Woodbine, which is run at the same one-mile distance as Friday’s contest. Vixen, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, sold for $200,000 at this year’s OBS Spring sale.
The bay filly, who was bred by Jason Edward Howard, drew post 13 in the field 14 2-year-old. The Juvenile Fillies Turf is race 8 with a post time of 4:05 pm PT.
The 1 1/16-mile Juvenile comes right after the Juvenile Fillies Turf as race 9 at 4:45 pm PT. Jonathan’s Way will break from post 5 in the field of 10, with Joel Rosario in the irons for trainer Phillip Bauer and owner Rigney Racing LLC.
Jonathan’s Way is undefeated in two starts, with a Saratoga maiden win and a gate-to-wire victory in the Sept. 14 Iroquois S. (G3) to his credit. Bred by Susan L Anderson Racing LLC, Jonathan’s Way sold for $290,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.