As an proprietor and breeder, Peter Vegso has been tied to some high horses—grade 1 winners—and Might 16 he’ll be cheering for his first basic victory as a breeder when undefeated, two-time stakes winner Taj Mahal begins within the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park.
Whereas huge horses and high stakes wins present thrills, the writer of the “Hen Soup for the Soul” guide sequence comes again to racing and breeding yr after yr—in the beginning—due to his love of the horse. It places him within the happiest of locations.
That is why Vegso, 82, laughs a bit when a reporter asks about his racing and breeding operations, as he would not view it as a enterprise a lot as pure enjoyment. He loves spending time in a nook room at his Ocala, Fla., household horse farm watching his Thoroughbreds, together with about 17 mares, a dozen foals, and a lot of retirees, together with 26-year-old nine-time graded stakes winner Silver Tree .
“The farm is totally my favourite place to be,” Vegso mentioned. “Mom Nature is the perfect; it makes you’re feeling so good. I spend a whole lot of time interested by horses—you by no means know what’s of their thoughts, what they’re considering. A few of them clearly have a unique mindset and might get so aggressive, so good.”
The highest horses nonetheless catch Vegso’s fancy. Since initially shopping for an curiosity in a horse in 1988 together with his spouse, Anne, adopted by the acquisition of the Ocala farm in 1993, Vegso has had his share of success. Homebred grade 1 winners for Vegso embody Go Between , Splendid Blended , and Breeders’ Cup Women’ Traditional (G1) winner Unmatched Belle (co-bred and co-owned with Gary Seidler).
As a breeder, Vegso Racing Secure additionally boasts 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Caledonia Highway , champion 2-year-old filly of that season.
Vegso practically had a horse within the classics in 2023 when homebred Lord Miles received the Wooden Memorial Stakes (G2) however missed the Triple Crown races.
Now one other basic alternative arrives. Whereas Vegso will not make it to Laurel Park for the Preakness, he is wanting ahead to watching the race on tv Saturday at his South Florida dwelling. He and his household have been thrilled by the undefeated begin by Taj Mahal.
Photograph: Jeffrey Snyder/Maryland Jockey ClubTaj Mahal is alone on the wire within the 2026 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park
“Whoever got here up with that identify did a fantastic job—what a reputation. My spouse and I visited there just a few years in the past, and we’ve an image of us standing in entrance of the Taj Mahal. The horse makes me consider the photograph, and that journey; and the photograph makes me consider the horse.”
Skilled by Brittany Russell, the horse has shortly constructed some fond reminiscences for homeowners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Decided Stables, Golconda Secure, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. Two weeks after Cherie DeVaux turned the primary lady to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) as a coach, Russell will attempt to turn out to be the primary lady to win the Preakness as a coach.
READ: Coach Russell Goes for Preakness First with Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal’s prospects are promising. The son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist opened his racing profession in February by closing from sixth to submit a 4 1/4-length victory in a 6-furlong maiden particular weight take a look at. He then gamely edged Let’s Go Lando for a slender victory within the one-turn mile Miracle Wooden Stakes earlier than punching his Preakness ticket by rolling to an 8 1/4-length victory within the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes—his first strive at two turns in a pure development of distances towards Saturday’s 1 3/16-mile Preakness.
And, it needs to be talked about, all three of these begins have been at Laurel Park—this yr’s short-term dwelling of the Preakness.
“It has been unimaginable to observe him win these races,” Vegso mentioned. “We’re wanting ahead to Saturday. We have been lucky to date.”
Whereas success has come shortly on the monitor, persistence was key within the breeding of Taj Mahal. He is out of stakes-placed winner Oola Gal, a daughter of High quality Highway who boasts two winners from as many starters. Oola Gal additionally was bred by Vegso Racing Secure. Vegso raced her dam, Geisha Gal, a daughter of Agnes Tachyon who produced 5 winners, to a maiden and allowance win after buying her for $180,000 as a weanling on the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Inventory Sale.
For her first mating, Oola Gal was despatched to Nyquist and produced a 2021 colt. Whereas the colt seemed promising, he died as a yearling from equine wobbler syndrome. However the seed was planted and, after a visit to Arduous Spun that produced winner Miss Ocala in 2022, they despatched Oola Gal again to Nyquist, who stood that season for $55,000 at Darley Stallions close to Lexington. Nonetheless at Darley, Nyquist’s stud charge has rocketed to $175,000 this yr.
That mating produced Taj Mahal in 2023. And he would shine earlier than ever reaching the monitor. On the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Donato Lanni, agent for SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Secure went to $525,000 to land the bay colt consigned by Eaton Gross sales, agent.
Vegso mentioned that was a terrific value and so they additionally have been thrilled to see the colt go to one of many main possession teams in North America. He additionally took it as a great omen that the initials “SF” matched the initials of his school, Saint Francis Xavier College in Canada.
“On this business, you want some luck. Sure, there’s loads that goes into it and everybody does their finest and put within the work, however the largest issue would possibly nonetheless be luck,” Vegso mentioned. “We bought fortunate big-time with this one.”
Nowadays Vegso’s son-in-law, Christian Blonshine, who’s married to his daughter, Melinda, has taken a eager curiosity in Thoroughbred breeding. They stay on the farm and Christian plans the matings and decides which foals to promote or race. From the group of foals, they promote those that look most certainly to attract curiosity as younger horses from consumers, whereas preserving the others to develop and race.
Photograph: Melinda Blonshine(From left): Peter Vegso, Melinda Blonshine, Tyler Blonshine, Carson Blonshine, Anne Vegso, Liam Blonshine, and Christian Blonshine
Younger horses are conditioned on the farms’ coaching monitor, underneath the steerage of conditioner Arturo Rodriguez.
Past the chance to turn out to be a breeder of a basic winner, a victory Saturday at Laurel additionally can be huge for the complete operation as they’ve a full sister to Taj Mahal within the Fasig-Tipton Might 2-12 months-Olds in Coaching Sale in close by Timonium, Md. Consigned by High Line Gross sales, agent, the filly might be provided on Might 19 as Hip 402.
“Would not it’s one thing if Taj Mahal may win Saturday forward of her going into the ring? That might be fairly an replace,” Vegso mentioned earlier than actually savoring the thought. “That might be exceptional, really.”
