August 2020 Member of the Month: Gatsas Stable

Gatsas Stable is the TOBA August Member of the Month.

Despite a challenging year, Mike Gatsas and son Matt have stayed in the winner’s circle. A highlight for the New Hampshire-based duo has been two grade 1 wins from four-year-old Vekoma, whom they co-own with Randy Hill’s R.A. Hill Stable.

Mike Gatsas met Hill at Saratoga. “Henceforth, we started buying some horses together and we’ve had some tremendous luck,” Gatsas noted. “We had Our Country run in the Breeders’ Cup last year, two-year-old on the turf [Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T)], and we had Vekoma and we have [four-time stakes winner] Funny Guy that’s really proven to be probably a very, very nice horse that we’re looking to the future to run in a big race. So, with all that going, it seems like a pretty good partnership.”

At two, Vekoma captured the Nashua Stakes (G3). At three, the Candy Ride colt won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2). “The race at Keeneland, the Blue Grass, we were all there, Randy was there, his family, my family,” Mike recalled. “And we just—we were over the top because we were present.” Vekoma finished off the board in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Mike added, “It was a dream. You want to run in the Derby, but now that I’ve run in the Derby, I want to win the Derby next time I go.”

Rested for the rest of last year, Vekoma debuted on March 28, posting a facile 3 ¾-length victory in the Sir Shackleton Stakes. Next up was the June 6 Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1); he romped by 7 ¼ lengths. In the July 4 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Vekoma beat a talented field including Code of Honor and McKinzie. “But I think I was probably the most joyed when we won the Met Mile,” recalled Gatsas, “even though I was at home, and it still—it brought tears to my eyes to win the Met Mile. It’s such a historical race. It’s such a great race. It’s a race for stallions and the way he did it…”

Upon the conclusion of Vekoma’s racing career, he will stand at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky. Gatsas described the Spendthrift team as “phenomenal to work with” and “gentlemen through and through.” Right now, trainer George Weaver and Vekoma’s owners are contemplating his next start. That may come in the August 29 Forego Stakes (G1), with the ultimate goal being the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) or Sprint (G1). “He’s got the speed and then just runs them off their feet,” Mike said. “They try to keep up with him and he just runs them off their feet. I hope he’s as talented for Spendthrift in the shed as he is on the racetrack.”

“We like to buy yearlings and two-year-old sales because we like to race,” said Matt Gatsas. “We like the excitement of racing and that’s kind of where our appetite is.” But the family will support Vekoma at stud. Matt added that “whether it’s through the sales rings, through the breeding shed, however—we will support him, for sure.”

Mike Gatsas and brother Ted first bought their horses around 1998, shooting to instant success with graded winners Shadow Caster and Gander. Of the latter horse, a fan favorite, Mike recalled, “He always showed up to run. You could always count on Gander. If you needed a check to pay for the feed, we’d always put Gander on the track, so we could always count on him over and over again, and he was just a pleasure to watch. Being our first, with Shadow Caster, was just unbelievable all the time, to go to the racetrack and you watch them compete. He just put the soul into the race every single day.” Gander is now living large in retirement at Stone Bridge Farm near Gansevoort, New York, thanks to manager Heidi Fischer.

The Gatsas family branched out into a partnership called Sovereign Stable, racing grade 1 winner Negligee, but has since refocused more intimate ownership groups. They’ve always appreciated the care lavished on their animals by trainers Charlie Assimakopolous, John Terranova, and Weaver. But whatever Vekoma’s next step, he’s provided a light in the darkness. Mike added, “It’s bad out there. We all realize that, and we have people that are suffering and so forth. You know, Vekoma’s let us get through it a little bit easier, for the Hills and the Gatsases and the Weavers. It’s just been a lot easier to get up in the morning because of Vekoma.”