In a dominant display, Vekoma ended 2024 as the Leading Freshman Sire by Earnings, Winners, Black-type winners, and Black-type horses. Himself, a brilliant multiple grade one-winning sprinter/miler, Vekoma was undefeated at two and four years old and carried his speed for a decisive victory in a major Derby trial at three. By Candy Ride – an outstanding sire, and now a sire of sires – Vekoma is out Mona de Momma, a Grade one-winning sprinter closely related to Mr. Greeley.

Candy Ride and sons have shown a strong affinity for the Caro line through In Excess. In Vekoma’s case, this has already resulted in graded stakes winner Jonathan’s Way and stakes winner Mi Bago, out of mares by Indian Charlie. Candy Ride has Grade one winner Geaux Rocket Ride out of a mare by Indian Charlie son Uncle Mo (sire of Nyquist, Laoban, and Outwork). This also suggests introducing mares by other Indian Charlie sons Adios Charlie, Cindago (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line stakes winner) Bwana Charlie, Liaison, and Cinco Charlie. His sire, In Excess is also sire of Rocky Bar, Notional, and Bring the Heat (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line stakes winner). We can also note that Cozzene is a Caro son who is broodmare sire of a Candy Ride stakes winner, and he is the sire of Mizzen Mast.

The most prolific cross for Candy Ride and sons has been with Storm Cat line mares, this already having produced nearly 70 stakes winners. Vekoma has stakes winner Mi Bago out of a mare by Creative Cause. He is a son of Giant’s Causeway, broodmare sire of Candy Ride’s Horse of the Year, Gun Runner. The cross of Candy Ride over Giant’s Causeway son Cowboy Cal, has produced classic winner Rombauer and Grade one winner Gunite. There is a Candy Ride-line stakes winner out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway son Eskendereya, and he can also be brought in through Not This Time (who has crossed well over Candy Ride) and First Samurai. Continuing with Storm Cat, Tale of the Cat (sire of Lion Heart and Tale of Ekati, grandsire of Kantharos and Uncaptured), there is a Candy Ride line Champion, Echo Zulu, out of a mare by Menifee (by Harlan, sire of Harlan’s Holiday, and grandsire of Into Mischief), and a Candy Ride line graded winner and Grade one performer, Pappacap, out of a mare by Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg, himself broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line Grade one winner, and a son of Hennessy, whose son, Henny Hughes, is also broodmare sire of a Candy Ride-line stakes winner). The Candy Ride-line cross with mares by Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat, himself already broodmare sire of a Candy Ride stakes winner) has also worked particularly well. The two-year-old Grade one winner Candied is out of a mare by Roaring Fever (brother to Stormin Fever), and Grade one winner Capt. Candyman Can is out of a mare by Storm Creek. There are also Candy Ride line stakes winners out of mares by Forestry (sire of Shackleford and Discreet Cat), Stormy Atlantic, Yankee Gentleman, Cat Thief, Tabasco Cat, Sea of Secrets, Grand Reward, Bluegrass Cat, Consolidator, Pure Prize, With Distinction, and Vision and Verse.

Storm Cat is a Northern Dancer-line horse and Candy Ride has also enjoyed success over mares from the Sadler’s Wells branch of this line. On this cross, Vekoma has stakes winner Vixen out of a mare by Noble Mission, a brother to Frankel, and a son of Galileo (whose sons Magician and Capo Blanco both stood in North America). We can also note that a son of Candy Ride has a grade one winner out of a mare by Powerscourt, and there are stakes winners out of mares by King of Kings, Kitten’s Joy, and El Prado, which suggests trying daughters of Medaglia d’Oro (sire of Violence and Warrior’s Reward) and Artie Schiller, and there is also a stakes winner out of a mare by King of Kings.

Candy Ride and sons have sired more than 40 stakes winners out of A.P. Indy-line mares, seven of them Grade one. They include champion Game Winner out of a mare by A.P. Indy himself, and Grade one winners out of mares by Flatter (brother to Congrats), Malibu Moon, Old Trieste, First Dude (by Stephen Got Even), Stroll, and Tapit (sire of Constitution, Frosted, Concord Point, Tapizar, Tonalist, Tapiture, and Trappe Shot). Stroll and Tapit are by Pulpit, himself broodmare sire of three Candy Ride line stakes winners which would also make Sky Mesa and Corinthian (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride line stakes winner) a possibility. There are also four Candy Ride-line stakes winners, two graded, out mares by A.P. Indy son, Mineshaft, sire of Dialed In and Discreetly Mine. Two graded stakes winners out of mares by Bernardini (sire of Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve), also suggesting daughters of such as Jump Start and Majestic Warrior. Vekoma also has graded winner Golden Vekoma out of a mare by Stevie Wonderboy, a son of the A.P. Indy stallion, Stephen Got Even.

Candy Ride and sons have enjoyed tremendous success crossed over mares from the Mr. Prospector line. They have been particularly good with their own Fappiano branch, particularly through Unbridled. Out of mares by Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister; grandsire of American Pharoah, Cairo Prince, and Classic Empire) there are two graded winners, including Grade one winner Separationofpowers. There are seven stakes winners by Candy Ride and sons out of mares by Unbridled’s Song, including grade one winners Gift Box and Leofric. The cross of Candy Ride and sons with mares by sons of Unbridled’s Song has produced six stakes winners, including grade one winner Beyond Brilliant out of a mare by First Defence, graded stakes winner Danzing Candy out of a mare by Songandprayer, and stakes winners out of mares by Political Force and Rockport Harbor. Other sources of Unbridled’s Song include Liam’s Map, Cross Traffic, Midshipman, Old Fashioned, Zensational, Even The Score, Dunkirk, Half Ours, and Buddha.

Unbridled could also be brought in through Broken Vow. We also find Candy Ride grade one winner Finleysluckycharm out of a mare by Victory Gallop from this line, and it could also be worth considering introducing Fappiano through Quiet American, the grandsire of Midnight Lute, and Rubiano, sire of Burning Roma, and Too Much Bling.

Candy Ride and sons have five stakes winners out of mares by Distorted Humor, including graded scorers Intricate and Sugar Shock. In addition, Grade one winner Cyberknife is by a son of Candy Ride, out of mare by Distorted Humor son, Flower Alley, suggesting trying mares by other Distorted Humor sons such as Maclean’s Music, Jimmy Creed, Khozan, Brethren, and Alternation. Distorted Humor is by Forty Niner – building on the Mr. Prospector/Tom Rolfe cross found in Vekoma through Cryptoclearance and Mona de Momma – and we can also find Forty Niner through Coronado’s Quest, broodmare sire of two Candy Ride-line stakes winners, as well as Banker’s Gold, Editor’s Note, End Sweep, and his sons, Trippi, Gold Fever, Roar, and Tactical Advantage (broodmare sire of a Candy Ride-line grade one winner). There is also a stakes winner by Candy Ride out of a mare by Fusaichi Pegasus, who is bred on the same cross as Distorted Humor and is sire of Roman Ruler and Bandini.

Mr. Prospector son, Carson City is a Mr. Prospector/Blushing Groom cross, like Candy Ride, and Candy Ride and sons have three winners, including stakes winners out of mares by Lord Carson and Flying Chevron. This suggests trying daughters of City Zip (whose son Run Away And Hide, would be interesting), Five Star Day, Cuvee, and Pollard’s Vision.

Vekoma is bred on the cross of Candy Ride with a Gone West line mare, and crossing back over mares by Gone West sons and grandsons is worth considering, with sources including Mr. Greeley (who is particularly interesting as his sire and dam are the grandsire and granddam of Vekoma’s Grade one-winning dam, Mona de Momma, and who is available of El Corredor and Whywhywhy), Grand Slam (sire of Limehouse), Elusive Quality (sire of Quality Road – broodmare sire of a Vekoma stakes winner – Smarty Jones and Great Notion) and Proud Citizen. From other branches of the Mr. Prospector, Candy Ride sired one of his best runners, Twirling Candy, out of a mare by Mr. Prospector son, Chester House, and has a stakes winner out of a mare by Kingmambo (sire of Lemon Drop Kid). Candy Ride has a grade two winner out of a mare by Street Cry, and mares by his son, Street Sense, could be interesting here as he is from the immediate family of Vekoma.

There is a Candy Ride line stakes winner out of a mare by Closing Argument, and a trio of stakes winners, two graded by Candy Ride and sons out of mares by that horse’s sire, Successful Appeal. There is a son of Valid Appeal, also sire of Valid Wager and Valid Expectations. There are also two stakes winners by Candy Ride out of mares by Arch (sire of Blame).