Spendthrift Farm's 2024 leading first crop sire Vekoma rang in the new year with his newest stakes winner when Five G soared home by nine lengths in the Jan. 1 Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Although no Road to the Kentucky Oaks points were awarded for the race, the $165,000 Cash Run is the first leg in 1S/T Racing and Fasig-Tipton's newest Kentucky Oaks prep series for 3-year-old fillies. The Forward Gal Stakes (G3), run on Holy Bull day Feb. 1, is the second race in the series and offers 20 Oaks points to the winner.
Breaking sharply from the one hole under John Velazquez, Five G battled Andrea for pacesetting honors before putting away that rival after a half-mile in :46.74. Extending her advantage into the far turn, the George Weaver trainee clocked the six panels in 1:12.26 before storming to the wire unchallenged.
Five G ($12.40) hit the wire in a final time of 1:38.11 over a fast main track.
Favored Paradise City and Unchained Elaine completed the trifecta.
Bred in New York for owner/breeder Gatsas Stable, Five G recorded her first stakes win and first win on the dirt after breaking her maiden on the turf last fall at Aqueduct Racetrack. She backed up her maiden victory with a narrow runner-up finish to Laurelin in the Nov. 17 Tepin Stakes.
Vekoma registered his second stakes winner of the day and seventh overall black-type winner a race later when Mi Bago captured the $165,000 Dania Beach Stakes.
