Power Move: Vehemente wins first stakes in Fleet Indian

By Julia Reedy

Vehemente lived up to her name in Thursday’s $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes going 9 furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Joe Sharp, the New York-bred daughter of Vekoma finished 1 ¼ lengths ahead of the Jorge Abreu-trained favorite Kay Cup in 1:51.75.

Owned by International Equine, bred by Hibiscus Stables and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, the 3-year-old out of the winning Stormy Atlantic mare Resoundingly improved her record to 5-for-11 and boosted her bankroll to $320,050.

“It’s been really great,” said Hibiscus Stables’ Jon Taisey of the filly’s progress. “I know Clark Shepherd, who bought the horse, really well. I met him out of coincidence probably a couple months before he bought this filly. We became good friends, met with each other down in Baltimore, had dinner with each other a couple nights, played tag buying each other dinner. He showed up at the sale a couple months later up here at Saratoga, and his team ended up falling in love with her.”

A graduate of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, Vehemente was purchased for $40,000 out of the Hibiscus consignment by Shepherd for International Equine – an outcome that both Taisey and Shepherd were content with.

“We were actually really happy, and I remember high-fiving when they only paid $40,000 for her,” Taisey said. “I think they would have been willing to go double on that. I know we were hoping for double on that, but that’s the game you play.”

The Fleet Indian marked the first time Vehemente had run at the 1 1/8-mile distance.

“The distance is honestly super questionable for this one and for Train the Trainer,” Taisey said of the Hibiscus-bred colt who was entered by scratched out of Thursday’s Albany Stakes.  “There is a little bit of distance in both of their breeding, but to go 1 1/8 miles, you really never know. Sort of hope for it, but I don’t think they expected it. I talked to them before the race, they said, ‘If she has a safe race, and we hit the board, we’ll be so happy.’ We could never even imagine being here. Now they won the race, and they obviously have a filly that has a lot of value, breeding value in the future, too. It’ll be fun to watch her retire eventually and breed, and see those babies come along, too.”

Vehemente is the fifth foal out of the $132,586-earner Resoundingly, who is also the dam of winners Lucille, Tapalong and She Takes Cash, and an unraced 2-year-old New York-bred colt by Street Boss who sold for $53,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale.

Hibiscus Stables bought Vehemente for $25,000 in foal to Goldencents for $25,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2025/08/21/power-move-vehemente-wins-first-stakes-in-fleet-indian/

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