Vah-Vah-Vah-Voom
Grade 1 winner Vahva returns to Saratoga Race Course on Saturday as the even-money favorite over seven other fillies and mares in the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (G1), a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).
Vahva. Coady Photo.
Rising Star Vahva Ready for Saratoga Challenge in the Ballerina Stakes
The 4-year-old daughter of Gun Runner has scarcely set a foot wrong at 7 furlongs, having won four of her last five starts at the distance, including the Derby City Distaff (G1) in May. In her other two starts this year, she finished second by a half-length in the April 6 Madison at Keeneland and took the Chicago (G3) at Churchill Downs last out, defeating Positano Sunset and Society, who are also entered in the Ballerina.
The Cherie DeVaux trainee scored her first graded stakes wins in closing out her 3-year-old campaign, taking the Charles Town Oaks (G3) in August and emerging victorious by a half-length in the Raven Run (G2) in October at Keeneland.
“She’s doing really well. This is a race that we targeted early in the year,” said DeVaux of Vahva, making her first appearance at Saratoga since finishing fifth and second in a pair of 2-year-old maiden races in 2022. “She shows up every time and runs her race. That is all we can ask of her.”
Ballerina Handicap: A Star-Studded Race on Travers Stakes Undercard
The Ballerina Handicap is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ race to the BC Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2. The race, along with the Sword Dancer (G1), the H. Allen Jerkens (G2), and the Forego (G1), is part of the blockbuster Travers Stakes (G1) Day undercard.
Supplemented to the race by trainer Bill Mott is Juddmonte’s Scylla, cutting back in distance after coming in second to multiple Grade 1 winner Adare Manor in the 1 1/8-mile Clement Hirsch (G1) earlier this month at Del Mar. With a resume of 5-2-1 from eight starts, including victories in the Shawnee (G3) and Fleur de Lis (G2), both at Churchill Downs, the 4-year-old Tapit filly will be making her first start at 7 furlongs and her first start at Saratoga.
Trainer Steve Asmussen will try for back-to-back wins in the Ballerina with Peter Blum’s Society, who finished third, 1 ½ lengths behind Vahva, in the Chicago in her lone start of 2024. The 5-year-old Gun Runner mare is 3-0-2 from six starts at the Ballerina distance, including wins in last year’s Chicago and the Pink Ribbon at Charles Town, and the 2022 Charles Town Oaks (G3). Her Grade 1 victory came in the 2022 Cotillion at Parx Racing.
Asmussen won last year’s Ballerina with Echo Zulu, 2021’s champion juvenile filly.
From the barn of Chad Brown comes the graded stakes winning pair of Accede, a Kentucky homebred for Juddmonte who took the Bed o’Roses (G2) on June 15, and Peter Brant’s Shidabhuti, winner of the April 6 Distaff (G3), both at Aqueduct.
The picks: 1 Vahva 2 Scylla 3 Accede
The field for the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Positano Sunset (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes), 15-1
2 Chi Town Lady (Jose Ortiz, Wesley Ward), 20-1
3 Vahva (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Cherie DeVaux), 1-1
4 Society (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen), 4-1
5 Scylla (Javier Castellano, Bil Mott), 7-2
6 Shidabhuti (Dylan David, Chad Brown), 20-1
7 Accede (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown), 8-1
8 Munnys Gold (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 10-1
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
