The Enterprise gelding is on a seven-race win streak.

by Jay Wolf

When the sophomore colt trotters line up behind the gate Saturday evening (May 17) at MGM Northfield Park for the opening leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes, there will be a “new shooter” in the series, one with an interesting name, Vekna.

The Enterprise gelding is campaigned by the husband-and-wife team of Kayne (driver/trainer) and Natalie (owner/caretaker) Kauffman.

Vekna comes into his first OHSS action on a seven-race win streak that started in July 2024.

“Early on I really didn’t know what kind of colt I had… when he was training down, he had breaking issues,” said Kayne. “It took we a while to get the shoeing the way I wanted it. I had a lot of weight on him. The trotting hobbles have made the difference.”

Vekna’s freshman campaign got off to an auspicious start at the Clinton County Fair in Wilmington, OH, when he broke before the start, and spotted the leader 14 lengths at the half-mile station. The green gelding minded his manners the rest of the mile, used a final quarter of :29.4, and lost by just 1¾ lengths.“It was unreal how much ground he made up in that last half,” Kayne said.

Just seven days later at their hometown Warren County Fair in Lebanon all systems were go and Vekna cruised to a 14+ length win in 2:05, with a last quarter of :28.4.

The 46-year-old Kayne decided that their next few starts would be in the Buckeye Stallion Series, sweeping the final four legs of the series.

“Actually, I didn’t even stake him to the sires stakes, just the OCRA [Ohio Colt Racing Association] and the Buckeye [Stallion Series],” Kayne said. “I was so down on him during the staking time.”

His freshman mark came on Jugette Day at the Delaware County Fair, a 15-length victory in 1:56 in the final preliminary BSS leg.The final start of his rookie season was supposed to be on Oct. 5 at Dayton Raceway in the $75,000 Buckeye Stallion Series final, but he had to be scratched due to an injury.

“We had an unfortunate lameness issue there at the end of the year,” Kayne said. “A little bump in the road. Other than that, it was a pretty good year.”

His freshman season wrapped up with a 6-1-0 record in seven starts, putting $51,122 in the bank.

Sold as Rare Prize by the Spring Haven Farm, he was originally scheduled to be Hip #57 in the 2023 Ohio Select Sale, but a foot abscess forced his withdrawal and pushed his sale to the Blooded Horse November Speed Sale.

“Natalie hasn’t been able to do much with the horses since our girls were growing up,” Kayne said. “We are empty nesters now and she wanted to get more involved.

“He was the only one I liked in that sale through video. I didn’t want to waste a trip, so I called Senena [Esty, of Spring Haven Farm] and asked her about him and she said, ‘You’ll love him.’”Rare Prize was hammered down to the Kauffmans for $11,000.So, how did Rare Prize become Vekna? Was it in homage to the main antagonist in the Netflix series Stranger Things or the fictional villain in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game?“I am a big Cleveland Browns and Miles Garrett fan,” Kayne said. “His thing is dressing up for Halloween. One year Garrett dressed as Vecna… Since our family are all Ks, we just changed the ‘C’ to a ‘K.’ So yes, after Stranger Things, but more for Miles Garrett.”

In his first start of the 2025 season, the opening leg of the non-winners of $70,000 lifetime series at Eldorado Scioto Downs (May 9), Vekna was eased off the gate’s wings and grabbed the lead by the three-eighths-mile mark and scored in a lifetime best 1:54.

“He had qualified well both times… we wanted to get a race in him and then see what to do next,” said Kayne, who has 4,200+ driving wins and 1,100+ training wins. “It’s been fun so far.”

That 1:54 mile turned some heads and made Vekna the fastest offspring of Enterprise.

If he continues this form, Vekna could go from a late-blooming bargain buy to a major player in Ohio’s 3-year-old trotting ranks.

“Those two colts [Lt Loverboy and Battle Hill] that went 1-2 in the Hackett [final on May 3] went big [miles] that day,” Kayne said. “They went in [1]:53, so it will be hard. He will have to be on his ‘A’ game to take on the good colts. I feel he deserves a shot the way he raced the other day.”

Vekna drew into the easier of the two $65,000 OHSS divisions. He will leave from mid-pack in post 3.

The reigning Ohio divisional champ, Lt Loverboy, and Battle Hill drew posts 1 and 2, respectively, in the second division.

“He doesn’t owe us anything,” Kayne said. “Whatever happens from here happens. We bought him to have some fun. He’s well exceeded our expectations.”