The Labor Day weekend was a good one for both of the leading second-crop sires in Europe and North America, Kameko and Vekoma .
Kameko was represented by Wimbledon Hawkeye, who took the most valuable race of the holiday weekend, the Nashville Derby (G3T), narrowly prevailing over one-time classic contender, Burnham Square.
Prior to his Kentucky Downs success, Wimbledon Hawkeye hadn't won in six starts in 2025 and had only won two races in 11 previous outings. That said, he's made all but one of his starts in group or graded stakes events, and has only finished outside the first three twice. He stamped himself as one of Europe's best juveniles last year, with wins in a seven-furlong maiden, and the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2), a second in the Acomb Stakes, and a third in the William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes (G1). This year, he's taken second in the Craven Stakes (G3), Princess of Wales's Stakes (G2), and most recently the Gordon Stakes (G3), where he missed by just a nose, and he also ran third in the Dante Stakes (G2), England's premier Epsom Derby (G1) trial.
Wimbledon Hawkeye's sire, Kameko, is a European-raced son of Kitten's Joy. He captured the Futurity Trophy (G1) at 2, and at 3 won the fastest ever renewal of the one-mile classic, the Two Thousand Guineas (G1)—a race contested since 1809—and the Joel Stakes (G2). Wimbledon Haweye is one of three stakes winners from Kameko's first crop, the other two including New Century, an English 2-year-old listed winner, who also captured the Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine, and finished third in the American Turf Stakes (G1T), and American Gal, winner of the listed Prix de Lilas at Chantilly.
Wimbledon Hawkeye is out of Eva Maria, a Sea The Stars mare who won three races at up to 10 furlongs, and finished fourth in the Dahlia Stakes (G2). She is a half sister to James Garfield, successful in the Mill Reef Stakes (G2) and Greenham Stakes (G3), and runner-up in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1); to the blacktype-placed The Shrew, dam of the King George Stakes (G3) victor JM Jungle; and to Theladyinquestion, dam of the listed-winning Nate The Great.
The second dam, Whazzat, won the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. She is half sister to Italian group winner Whazzis; to Unaided, the dam of Uni, champion turf female in the United States in 2019 and heroine of the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T); and to Whatami, dam of Sir Delius, a group winner in France and Australia; group winner Nkosikazi (by Cape Cross, the sire of Wimbledon Hawkeye's broodmare sire, Sea The Stars); and listed winner Juan Elcano.
The fourth dam of Wimbledon Hawkeye is the important broodmare, Eljazzi. Most notably dam of the Prix de Diane-French Oaks (G1) victress Rafha, Eljazzi is ancestress of more than 50 stakes winners, and in addition to those mentioned above they also include Mishriff, winner of the Prix du Jockey-Club-French Derby (G1), Juddmonte International Stakes (G1), and Dubai Sheema Classic (G1); European champion 2-year-old Pinatubo; and other group/grade one winners Invincible Spirit—also an outstanding sire—Chinese White, Nayarra, and Pride of Dubai, as well as the very successful stallion, Kodiac.
Wimbledon Hawkeye and group winner Kingswood are the two black-type winners by Kitten's Joy and his sons from 11 starters out of Sea The Stars mares. Kameko is from the El Prado branch of Sea The Stars, and the broader Sadler's Wells/Sea The Stars cross has also produced group/grade 1 winners El Cordobes and Onesto, and group winner Mohaafeth. These three are all by Frankel , who is a son of Sea The Stars' half brother, Galileo, and so inbred to 3x3 to the great mare Urban Sea.
Vekoma didn't enjoy as big a boost to his earnings total as Kameko, but he did add to his burgeoning total of stakes winners from his crop as his daughter Praying captured the Prioress Stakes (G3). The week also saw a pair of Vekoma 2-year-olds, Attfield and Lovely Christina, score in Saratoga Race Course maiden special weight events.
A son of Candy Ride —already represented by established sires Gun Runner and Twirling Candy —out of the grade 1-winning sprinter Mona de Momma (Speightstown), Vekoma was a versatile runner, although at his most effective as a sprinter/miler. He won both his starts at 2, including the Nashua Stakes (G3), and from three outings at three captured the Blue Grass Stakes (G1). In his final season at 4, he went 3-for-3, taking the Sir Shackleton Stakes, Carter Handicap (G1), and Metropolitan Handicap (G1).
Vekoma was the leading freshman sire of 2024 by earnings, winners, and black-type winners, and he heads the second-crop sires in the same categories in 2025. To date, Vekoma's first crop has provided 14 individual stakes winners—that's short of the first-crop record of 25 stakes winners set by Uncle Mo, but closing in on the previous record of 17 established by Hard Spun . In addition to Praying, they include graded winners Five G, successful in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2); Saudi Deby (G3) scorer Golden Vekoma; Vixen, who took the Herecomsethebride Stakes (G3T); and the Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Jonathan's Way, as well as Colloquial, who defeated Amsterdam Stakes (G2) winner Smoken Wicked in the Lafayette Stakes in spring, but has since been sidelined by injury.
The Prioress Stakes, which she took by 3 1/2 lengths, was only the second win in eight starts for Praying. She had, however, run second in the Myrtlewood Stakes last October, and second in the Southern Hospitality Stakes this March, when coming off a four-month break. She was off the board in a Churchill Downs allowance between the Southern Hospitality and the Prioress, but had an excuse there as she broke through the gate before the start.
Praying is half sister to the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) third Alys Beach, and to Spa Prospector, third in this year's Adirondack Stakes (G3). Her dam, Pray for Leslie, a Churchill Downs allowance-winning daughter of Bernardini, is a half sister to C.J.'s Gal, the dam of the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) winner Hidden Connection. The second dam, C J's Leelee, took second in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) and Regret Stakes (G3T), and is a half sister to Capo Bastone, who took the King's Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
Praying and stakes winner Colloquial represent two of the three starters by Vekoma out of Bernardini mares, and Candy Ride and sons have five other stakes winners out of Bernardini mares, including grade 2 scorers Life Talk and Confidence Game.
