Saratoga Maidens, Presented By Keeneland: Bottas Drives To Decisive Spa MSW Score

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–In the opener of the Travers Day program Saturday, Bottas (Vekoma) delivered a double maiden-breaking victory.

Not only did he win his career debut in the $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds, he notched the first triumph for the Dahman stable of Qatari businessman Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri. With a last-to-first run under Flavien Prat, Bottas secured the lead by the sixteenth pole and finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Franklin Delano (Liam's Map) in the 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course in 1:41.70. The 2-1 favorite paid $6.90.

Named for the Finnish Formula 1 driver Valterri Bottas, who just announced he will move to the Cadillac team in 2026, Bottas was the fifth starter for Dahman. Case Clay, the Dahman racing manager, said that the stable now numbers 15 runners all trained by Miguel Clement. Clay purchased the colt out of Iadorakid by Lemon Drop Kid for $300,000 at the OBS April sale.

“There were a number of reasons that I liked the colt,” Clay said. “Number 1 is I like the Vekomas. He's a half-brother to Parenting (Justify) who I purchased privately for Wathnan Racing, and is a very good horse. He's had an unlucky injury, and we're just trying to bring him back. I knew his brother was good. Also, have a lot of confidence in Paul Sharp as a consigner. He is a very good mover. Had a nice breeze. All the kind of things that you look for at the 2-year-old sales.”

Clement said he was pleased to have picked up the initial win for the new owner and that Bottas touted himself since arriving in the barn.

“From Day 1 he's been an exciting prospect,” Clement said. “Case purchased him from Paul Sharp at the 2-year-old sale. He liked him a lot. Thought he would be a nice turf horse for Saratoga, and he was spot-on.

“Today, I thought he was very professional, a touch immature once he struck the front, but throughout the entire running of the race, I thought he had plenty in control, plenty in hand. He was very impressive today. In four or five strides it was just a question of when he would get there, not if he will get there.”

While Amador (Constitution) and then Ambassador Blue (Charlatan) led the field of six early through splits of :23.56 and :47.43, Bottas and Prat were, by design, running last, several lengths off the pace. Prat moved him closer entering the second turn and into contention entering the stretch. From his training, Clement knew that, like his sire, Bottas was fast.

“Our only reservation was distance. Can he get a mile and a sixteenth?” Clement said. “We knew he had the speed to go five and a half, but if you're able to stretch them there's more opportunities. So Flavien rode him a bit conservatively today. He gave us a switch off and really delivered when we needed it most.”

Clement said he was tempted to start the colt sprinting.

“We were because his works from the dirt, from the gates, were so quick,” he said. “Nevertheless, I think he was quick because he's a good horse, not so much because he's a sprinter. He's out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare. If you look at the family, a lot of them were able to go seven-eighths to a mile. We thought we should stretch him first, and we could always cut back in trip if it didn't work out. The best opportunities are two turns on the grass for 2-year-olds.”

Bottas has made a smooth adjustment, Clement said, to prepping for racing in the few months he has been in his care.

“An unbelievably good mind considering he was in the 2-year-old sale,” Clement said. “It's a different class mentally in that regard. Easy to train. Straight forward. Typical in the Vekoma sense where he swings a bit leg-wise, but very sound and very easy to train. We're very lucky.”

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