Gatsas Stable‘s Five G Secures Kentucky Oaks Berth With Gulfstream Park Oaks Victory
Gatsas Stable’s homebred Five G (Vekoma) punched her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks with a commanding wire-to-wire victory in the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks at Hallandale Beach Saturday. The 6-5 favorite maintained control throughout the 1 1/16-mile contest, crossing the finish line 2 1/4 lengths ahead of her closest competitor.
Five G set early fractions of :23.63 for the quarter and :47.11 for the half while initially pressed by second choice The Queens MG (Thousand Words). When that rival faded, Anna’s Promise (Promises Fulfilled) mounted a challenge on the far turn, but Five G dismissed the threat at the top of the stretch and drew clear convincingly.
“George [Weaver] told me to ride with confidence, she’s a nice filly,” said winning rider Manny Franco, who was named this week to replace the injured Tyler Gaffalione. “If I end up on the lead, that’s fine; if somebody wants to go, use your Plan B. She broke good, I took advantage of that and I dictated the pace. She was there all the way for me.”
Trainer George Weaver expressed confidence in his filly’s performance. “I was pretty happy when they turned up the backside. She threw her ears up and was relaxed, so I felt like she was going to run her race from there.”
Anna’s Promise, who was claimed for $50,000 from her maiden win Feb. 5, finished a strong second.
“I’m really proud of her,” said trainer Carlos David. “She ran a great race. I thought before the quarter pole we had a shot. She tried hard. We got some [Kentucky Oaks] points, so we’ll see what happens from here.”
The race was marred by an incident involving The Queen’s MG, who was pulled up at the top of the stretch and walked onto a waiting horse van. Owner Mark Cornett told Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch the filly had suffered a knee injury. “We’re not sure exactly what it is at this point, but she might be all right,” Cornett said.
Hours after the race, trainer Saffie Joseph informed Welsch that the filly was in stable condition at the barn and is expected to undergo knee surgery Sunday morning.
Five G has shown versatility throughout her career. After breaking her maiden over the Aqueduct turf last November, she finished second in the grassy Tepin Stakes Nov. 17. Her return to dirt racing produced a dominant nine-length victory in the Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream on New Year’s Day, followed by a runner-up finish behind Quietside (Malibu Moon) in the Feb. 23 GIII Honeybee Stakes.
“She’s been a nice surprise,” Weaver said. “She was a nice New York-bred during the summer. When I brought her down here, I thought, ‘Wow we might have something here.’ It just keeps getting tougher from this point.”
Five G represents a significant success for her sire Vekoma, becoming his fourth graded stakes winner. The connection runs deeper as Vekoma was co-owned by Mike and Matt Gatsas and trained by George Weaver. Five G has a yearling full-brother, and her dam Triumphant was bred to Central Banker last year. Gatsas Stables purchased the mare, in foal to Runhappy, for $57,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.
“We’re looking forward to going to Kentucky,” Weaver told @CBredar in a post-race interview.
"We're looking forward to going to Kentucky." @CBredar talked to George Weaver after FIVE G earned 100 Kentucky Oaks points in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). 🌷 pic.twitter.com/M12FM1oQvN
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing)
"We're looking forward to going to Kentucky." March 29, 2025
Race Results
FASIG-TIPTON GULFSTREAM PARK OAKS-GII, $250,000, Gulfstream, 3-29, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.22, ft.
1–FIVE G, 122, f, 3, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Triumphant, by Quality Road
2nd Dam: Star Torina, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Gold Canyon, by Mr. Prospector
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Gatsas Stable LLC (NY);
T-George Weaver; J-Manuel Franco. $150,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-3-2-0, $390,290.
2–Anna’s Promise, 122, f, 3, Promises Fulfilled–Caroline Lois,
by Paynter. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O-Bell Racing LLC; B-Baron Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Carlos A. David. $55,000.
3–Cassiar, 122, f, 3, City of Light–Nellie Cashman, by
Mineshaft. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($400,000 Ylg ’23 FTSAUG). O-William S. Farish; B-Calumet
Farm (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $27,500.
Margins: 2 1/4, 10 1/4, HD. Odds: 1.30, 8.30, 7.80.
Also Ran: Whatintheliteral, Paradise City, The Queens M G. Scratched: Early On.
