Vel Letsroll South and Shawn Gray earned a near gate to wire win to kick off May at Plainridge. The Indiana sired gelding gave Gray his third win of the day on the Monday, May 1 racing program.
Vel Letsroll South and Shawn Gray head back to the winner’s circle following their win Monday, May 1 at Plainridge Racecourse.
Starting from post seven, Vel Letsroll South left for the lead but had to work to get there, passing by the quarter in :26.4 before clearing to the lead. Once on the lead, he had a full head of steam and had a big hold on Gray, who kept him steady past the half in :57.3. Another Indiana sired gelding Out to Get Lucky was one of the first move to the outside but was near the back of the pack and picked up cover behind Beyond the Past and Kevin Switzer Jr.
Heading into the final turn, Vel Letsroll South was still strong on the lead and as his cover began to fade, Out to Get Lucky moved three wide for the stretch drive. Bumpah Stickah and James Hardy had followed in second the entire way and moved out for a challenge, but Vel Letsroll South was full of life, winning the race by open lengths in 1:53.1. Bumpah Stickah held on for the win by inches over Out to Get Lucky, who was closing in quickly for W. Drew Campbell to finish second and third respectively. Out To Get Lucky is owned by Bill and Kim Beechy, who also bred the four-year-old Luck Be Withyou gelding.
Vel Letsroll South paid $9.60 for the win. The five-year-old Time To Roll gelding is owned by Mo Coo Inc. and was bred by Charlie K Racing. Matthew Medeiros trains Vel Letsroll South, who earned his second win of 2023. Overall, he has 12 wins and earnings of more than $78,000. His career best time remains at 1:52.3 taken at the Indiana State Fairgrounds as a three-year-old in the Elite Series.
Vel Letsroll South began his career on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit under the direction of Trainer Larry King. Following his three-year-old season at the fair, he moved to Dayton and eventually landed in upstate New York. His first win this year was taken at Saratoga and he hasn’t missed a check since mid-January for his connections. The family has a three-year-old this season, a colt by Panther Hanover named Vel Some Beach, and a two-year-old this season named Vel Beach Boy, a colt by Lost in Time.