Saturday, Santa Anita
RODEO DRIVE S.-GI, $301,035, Santa Anita, 9-29, 3yo/up, f/m,
1 1/4mT, 1:59.04, fm.
1–VASILIKA, 123, f, 4, by Skipshot
1st Dam: La Belle Marquet, by Marquetry
2nd Dam: Good for Her, by Topsider
3rd Dam: Please Try Hard, by Nashua
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-All Schlaich Stables LLC, Hollendorfer,
LLC, Gatto Racing, LLC & G Todaro; B-Mikhail Yanakov (KY);
T-Jerry Hollendorfer; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
26-12-4-3, $620,595. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Paved, 120, f, 3, by Quality Road&log=">Quality Road
1st Dam: Sirmione, by Cozzene
2nd Dam: Desert Digger, by Mining
3rd Dam: Desert Victress, by Desert Wine
($130,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $320,000 2yo '17 OBSMAR).
O-Ciaglia Racing LLC & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-St.
George Farm, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $60,000.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”hoppel-coastalequine-product”][bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”]3–Cambodia, 123, m, 6, by War Front&log=">War Front
1st Dam: Sassifaction, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Lonely Fact, by Known Fact
3rd Dam: Lonely Beach, by Kennedy Road
O-Winter Quarter Farm; B-Don M. Robinson & Maverick
Productions, Ltd. (KY); T-Thomas F. Proctor. $36,000.
Margins: HF, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.60, 4.20, 1.60.
Also Ran: Beau Recall (Ire), Amboseli, Sophie P (GB), Queen Blossom (Ire), Tisbutadream (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Dropped in for a tag not once but twice over the course of the past year, Vasilika continued to write her Cinderella story by recording her seventh consecutive victory–and her first at the Grade I level–in the GI Rodeo Drive, a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In' event for the F/M Turf. Settled in a wide stalking fourth as first Tisbutadream (Ire) (Dream Ahead) and then second choice Cambodia led through sensible early fractions, Vasilika inched closer to the front runners approaching the home turn. Within striking position at the head of the lane as GII Yellow Ribbon H. heroine Cambodia remained in charge and Paved closed with purpose while several paths wide, Vasilika ground her way to the front midstretch, battled with the gallant Cambodia late and had enough left in reserve to fend off the oncoming Paved. Cambodia completed the top three.
“We were going a little slower than I thought,” explained winning rider Flavian Prat. “She is super-easy to handle. I knew once she switched leads, we were going to catch Cambodia. I saw [Joel] Rosario's horse [Paved], but we kept on going. This horse keeps getting better and better. She doesn't quit and she's got a ton of foot.”
Vasilika, claimed for $32,000 out of a winning effort going a mile at Aqueduct last November, was snapped up by the current connections out of a $40,000 claimer at Santa Anita Feb. 11. A close-up second going nine panels in a Santa Anita optional claimer Mar. 4, the chestnut bagged four subsequent starts at Santa Anita before taking a one-mile Del Mar optional claimer July 21. Sent off at 4-1 for the nine-panel GII John C. Mabee at the seaside venue Sept. 1, the 4-year-old made short work of her competition, a field including Cambodia, coming home a 1 1/2-length winner over that well-supported favorite.
In regards to landing a filly of the caliber of Vasilika via the claim box, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer added, “Sometimes everything comes down to luck. We were looking for a horse to put in the barn and ended up getting her and we got the luck of it. We were just looking for a horse that can win a race. I think there are no secrets to this, sometimes horses get good, they go to a different spot and get better for one reason or another. It doesn't mean that we did a better job; it's just she likes it better where she is right now. We'll probably talk about [heading to the Breeders' Cup]; we're not nominated but I think it's feasible to nominate her. We'll have to do our homework and see if we're going to do that or not.”
Pedigree Notes:
Vasilika is the second SW and first graded winner for her sire, who was raced by her breeder and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer to a marquee victory over Sidney's Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the 2010 GII Swaps S. Vasilika is out of a winning full-sister to MSW & MGSP Chris's Bad Boy and has a foal full-brother. La Belle Marquet produced two subsequent full siblings to the winner: a juvenile filly named Vasilisa in 2016 and a foal brother from the current season.
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