Vasilika Continues Winning Ways in Megahertz Stakes
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Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Vasilika wins the Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita Park
In an emotional win for her connections, Vasilika took command of the $100,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) and scored by 1 1/2 widening lengths in the one-mile turf test for older fillies and mares Jan. 21 at Santa Anita Park.
After being claimed for $40,000 out of a winning race in February of 2018, Vasilika went on to win eight more races last year, counting the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) among her three graded stakes scores.
Racing for All Schlaich Stables, Jerry Hollendorfer, Gatto Racing, and George Todaro et. al, Vasilika wasted no time returning to her winning ways after closing 2018 with a fourth-place finish in the Dec. 2 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar. Before that effort, the daughter of Skipshot had won eight straight races, including graded stakes scores in the Goldikova Stakes (G2T), Rodeo Drive, and John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T).
Co-owner George Todaro, right, celebrates with jockey Flavien Prat, left, after Vasilika's Megahertz victory BENOIT PHOTO
After Monday's victory, co-owner and trainer Hollendorfer said it's been a remarkable run.
"You never expect this type of thing to happen but occasionally it does ," Hollendorfer said.
Extra emotion was tied into Monday's win as one of the partners who enjoyed that remarkable run was Dan Gatto, who died Jan. 19 at age 63 according to Daily Racing Form.
Appropriately enough in a race named after one of the top Southern California-based female turf late runners, 3-5 favorite Vasilika rated toward the rear early while saving ground under Flavien Prat while Ms Bad Behavior opened a three-length lead under Mike Smith through a quarter-mile in :23.66.
In the backstretch, an apparently headstrong La Sardane quickly moved to the lead on the outside while Ms Bad Behavior raced second through a half-mile in :47.29. Prat and Vasilika followed La Sardane to improve position just a bit.
Then in the turn, Vasilika launched a three-wide rally as Ms Bad Behavior grabbed the lead back turning for home. Perhaps because of the wide move, Vasilika's challenge for the lead initially appeared workmanlike until she unleashed a final gear near in deep stretch to draw off late.
"When Drysdale's filly (La Sardane) made that early move, it put pressure on Smith's filly (Ms Bad Behavior) and it helped me," Prat said. "I didn't want to be in a hurry, but she really picked it up and she finished well. I think a mile and one eighth might be her best (distance)."
After the first quarter-mile of the race, stakes-placed Last Promise Kept suffered an injury to her left hind leg and was vanned off. The race's official footnotes characterized the leg injury as catastrophic.
Ms Bad Behavior held second with Zaffinah up for third. Vasilika returned $3.20, $2.20, and $2.10 across the board while Ms Bad Behavior paid $3.20 and $3.00 to place and show. In earning her first stakes placing, Zaffinah returned $4.40 to show.
Bred in Kentucky by Mikhail Yanakov out of the Marquetry mare La Belle Marquet, Vasilika improved her record to 14-4-3 from 29 starts with earnings of $818,595.