Vasilika, Cambodia Meet Again in Rodeo Drive

Vasilika and Cambodia, the top finishers from the Sept. 1 John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar, will meet again with a grade 1 on the line Sept. 29 in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.

Winter Quarter Farm's Cambodia, who went off at 4-5 in the Mabee off a 2 1/2-length score in the Aug. 4 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T), had to go wide in the final turn against Vasilika Sept. 1 and came in 1 1/2 lengths behind her rival at the wire. A three-time graded winner on the Del Mar grass, the Tom Proctor-trained Cambodia, a 6-year-old War Front  mare, will make her first start on the Santa Anita turf Saturday.

BALAN: Vasilika Rises to the Occasion in John C. Mabee Stakes

Vasilika, however, will move to a surface she has excelled on, although she is undefeated in two starts on the Del Mar course. The 4-year-old Skipshot  filly, who was claimed by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in February, has won her last four starts on "firm" turf at Santa Anita. Her only loss from six starts on the course was a neck second in a March 4 allowance over turf rated "good."

The top two betting choices in the eight-horse field will seek their first top-level wins in their first try at 1 1/4 miles, but no one in the field has a win at the distance, and the only grade 1 winner is DP Racing's Sophie P, who won the May 26 Gamely Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita by a nose but has been winless since, including a fifth-place run in the Mabee.

BALAN: Sophie P Gets Her Nose Down for Gamely Score

Rounding out the field is 3-year-old Honeymoon Stakes (G2T) winner Paved, who will face older rivals for the first time; European stakes winner Tisbutadream, who finished 10th in the Yellow Ribbon, her first U.S. start; grade 2 winner Beau Recall; grade 3 winner Queen Blossom; and grade 2-placed Amboseli. 

Entries: Rodeo Drive S. (G1T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, September 29, 2018, Race 10

• Grade IT
• 1 1/4m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:41 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Paved (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Michael W. McCarthy	8/1
2	2Tisbutadream (IRE)	Tyler Conner	121	Ben D. A. Cecil	20/1
3	3Beau Recall (IRE)	Joseph Talamo	123	Simon Callaghan	10/1
4	4Queen Blossom (IRE)	Florent Geroux	121	Richard Baltas	8/1
5	5Amboseli (KY)	Stewart Elliott	121	James M. Cassidy	10/1
6	6Vasilika (KY)	Flavien Prat	123	Jerry Hollendorfer	8/5
7	7Sophie P (GB)	Kent J. Desormeaux	125	James M. Cassidy	8/1
8	8Cambodia (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	123	Thomas F. Proctor	9/5