Vasilika Keeps Win Streak Alive in Goldikova
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Vasilika and jockey Flavien Prat (green cap) outrun the field to win the Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita, her eighth consecutive victory
The efficiency, class, and consistency of Vasilika were again on display Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park.
Since April, the 4-year-old Skipshot filly trained by Jerry Hollendorfer has been machinelike—stalk, pounce, win, repeat.
So as she loomed behind pacesetter Fahan Mura Sunday in the $200,000 Goldikova Stakes (G2T), what came next was expected. Like she's done so many times before, she accelerated past her rivals and scored her eighth consecutive victory—all on the grass in Southern California under jockey Flavien Prat.
"She's so professional. She probably knows where the wire is better than me," Prat said. "I was a little concerned about the rail (draw), but we let everyone go, and she was very comfortable."
Fahan Mura, a consistent performer herself (she's won or placed in eight of her past nine starts for trainer Vladimir Cerin), battled on in the stretch after she set fractions of :22.74, :46.20, and 1:09.66 through six furlongs. She beat everyone else to the wire but was no match for Vasilika, who came in 1 1/2 lengths in front and finished the mile in 1:33.49. Madame Stripes nosed out East Coast invader Lull to complete the trifecta.
"I'm really proud of her," Cerin said of the 4-year-old, two-time stakes winner. "Today was her best race. She was facing some really good mares today, and with her pedigree—she's by English Channel , out of a Giant's Causeway mare—she's going to keep getting better at age 5. She went real fast, and she got run down by a really good filly."
Seventh into the first turn and sixth in the backstretch, Vasilika advanced between horses in the second turn, got into striking position in the clear, and unleashed her standard kick.
"As you saw, she's got a really good turn of foot," Prat said.
It was the third straight graded win for Vasilika, who is owned in partnership by All Schlaich Stables, Hollendorfer, Gatto Racing, and George Todaro. She broke through for her first graded win in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) Sept. 1 at Del Mar, then stretched out to a mile and a quarter for the first time to claim the Sept. 29 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita.
Hollendorfer said the filly, who is in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, could make another start at Del Mar's upcoming meet, which has the Dec. 2 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) on the schedule.
A $40,000 claim out of a Feb. 11 turf race at Santa Anita, Vasilika now has $740,595 in earnings and a 13-4-3 record from 27 starts. She was bred in Kentucky by Mikhail Yanakov, out of the Marquetry mare La Belle Marquet.
After Lull in the Goldikova came Cambodia in fifth, followed by I'm Betty G, Beau Recall, and La Sardane.