Bottas

Bottas, a Kentucky-bred Vekoma colt, won impressively in his debut race, taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden on the inner turf course at Saratoga by 2 ¼ lengths Aug. 23, 2025.

He was moved up to test stakes company in his second outing, the $200,000, Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes Oct. 3 at Belmont at the Big a held at the same distance. Bottas sat in midpack through the backstretch, angled out for a stretch run, and was all out to hold off Heeere’s Johnny by a head in a game effort. The colt earned an entry fees-paid berth to the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 31 with the victory.

Bottas ran ninth in the Juvenile Turf but came back for a successful 3-year-old campaign, finishing third in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga in his 2026 debut. He then ran a close fifth in the Belmont Derby and in his third start of the year nabbed his second Grade 2 win, rallying late under Manny Franco to prevail by 1 ½ lengths in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes Aug. 7 at Saratoga.

Bottas is trained by Miguel Clement. He is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Idorakid, who is a half-sister to Canadian champion turf male El Tormenta.