Vasilika Keeps Rolling in Buena Vista
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Vasilika and jockey Flavien Prat after their victory in the Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita Park
The emotion and importance of Vasilika's victory in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) Feb. 23 at Santa Anita Park cannot be fully appreciated without the proper context.
Her story was already impressive enough. A $40,000 claim turned grade 1 winner, the 5-year-old Skipshot mare added her 10th win from 12 starts since the claim by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
But through the lens of what happened earlier in the day, the 1 1/2-length victory took on greater significance. During the morning training hours at Santa Anita, the Hollendorfer barn lost another one of its stars—fellow grade 1 winner Battle of Midway—after a catastrophic injury.
Never one to be overly effusive, Hollendorfer was direct when asked what it meant to have such a consistent, reliable racehorse like Vasilika.
"You need them to keep the morale up," the Hall of Fame trainer said.
Down the backside in the one-mile grass test, however, the task appeared tough. It wasn't that Vasilika found trouble under jockey Flavien Prat, but the race wasn't playing out in an ideal manner.
Fahan Mura immediately sped to her customary spot at the front of the field, opened a two-length lead through a first quarter in :22.53, and ran off to a five-length advantage through a half in :45.48, while Vasilika raced in seventh, 10 1/2 lengths back.
By the time Fahan Mura got to the second turn, her lead was nearly eight lengths. Prat had to move earlier than he wanted because of the pace scenario but advanced into contention in the second turn. Fahan Mura tired in the stretch, and Ms Bad Behavior inherited the lead. Vasilika still had 1 1/2 lengths to make up with a furlong to run but surged by in the late stages to finish the mile in 1:33.35 on firm turf.
"(Prat) started moving a little earlier than he usually does, then she kicked in her last eighth, like she always does, and ran very well," Hollendorfer said.
Longshot Streak of Luck, off at 53-1, closed well to finish second under jockey Tyler Baze, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Ms Bad Behavior in third.
"I put her right behind the winner, and I was hoping to get the jump on her, but that (Vasilika) is a runner," Baze said.
Prat, who has been aboard for all 10 of Vasilika's wins since the claim, said after the race that the mare has schooled him during the stretch of success more than the other way around.
"To be honest, she's taught me quite a bit," Prat said. "She always knows what she's doing. Usually you try to tell them what to do, but she does what she wants to do. She knows what to do."
After Ms Bad Behavior came Take These Chains, Amandine, Elysea's World, English Dancer, Compelled, and Fahan Mura to complete the order of finish.
Owned by All Schlaich Stables, Gatto Racing, Hollendorfer, and George Todaro, Vasilika increased her earnings to $938,595 with the victory. She was bred in Kentucky by Mikhail Yanakov.