LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- All the Oaks and Derby contenders are on the grounds with barn numbers assigned, but some newcomers are still getting acquainted with the backside and the track.
Just arrived from the sunny shores of Palm Beach, Vekoma was jogging around the Churchill track Wednesday morning and even taking a brief visit to the starting gate.
His trainer is Louisville native George Weaver, who admits he may have skipped a class or two at Atherton High School to visit the track.
He knows Churchill. The horse does not.
“You know it's a new place. It's just a matter of, you know, getting the nerves out, letting him know what he's here for. Letting this gate crew see him and get a feel for him and all that. But he was good,” Weaver said.
The horse is good. The owners are better.
Mike Gatsas and partner are thrilled.
“This is the pinnacle of what you get in this game. It's just a dream that Randy and I both have had for years and years,” Gatsas said.
Enter the other half, Randy Hill, who's been buying horses for about 20 years. Finally, he's looking up at the Twin Spires.
“I just said to my wife, ‘Did you really think we'd ever be walking down to the barn on Derby week with one of our horses there?’ Mike and I look at these horses on the track--it's a dream come true. It sends chills up and down your spine as an owner,” Hill said.
The chills started when Vekoma won the Bluegrass Stakes, often an excellent predictor of success in the Derby.
Vekoma is a talented horse but some people have noticed that he has an unusual stride.
“I'm really not that concerned about it,” Hill said. “That's just the way he moves. He's been like that from day one, but more important than that, he's got a high cruising speed and is a very talented colt.”
Talented? A month after he purchased the horse, Randy Hill said his purchasing agent called and said this horse will "carry the mail” right down to Kentucky.