Rodeo Drive Stakes Plan A for Vasilika

With a little more than a week remaining before the start of the Santa Anita autumn meeting on Sept. 27, it was unclear Wednesday whether Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer would be allowed to train horses at the meet.

Whether Santa Anita allows him to participate at the meet will determine race plans for Vasilika, the leading female turf runner in California who is a candidate for the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita but could be sent to Keeneland for the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes on Oct. 5.

Hollendorfer, who is based at Los Alamitos and racing at the track’s Los Angeles County Fair meeting, was told to vacate his stalls at Santa Anita on June 22, the day a horse in his care was euthanized as a result of a training injury. Three other horses trained by Hollendorfer were euthanized as a result of injuries in racing or training from late December to late May.

Hollendorfer won a court ruling in late July that allowed him to race at the Del Mar summer meeting for the final five weeks of that seven-week season. Hollendorfer lost a similar court decision earlier this month regarding his request to race and stable at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California. The Stronach Group owns Golden Gate Field and Santa Anita.

Drew Couto, an attorney representing Hollendorfer, said Wednesday that he is hoping for a resolution in Hollendorfer’s favor that will allow him to race at Santa Anita without pursuing litigation.

Couto said the status of the case was “undetermined at the moment.”

“We would love to avoid litigation, if at all possible,” he said. “I think the ball is in The Stronach Group’s court at the moment.”

Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Vasilika won the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes on Aug. 31 at Del Mar and would be a leading candidate for the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf, a race she won in 2018. Tuesday at Los Alamitos, Vasilika worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, her second workout since a nose win in the Mabee.

The Rodeo Drive and $400,000 First Lady Stakes at a mile on turf are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, offering a fees-paid berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Vasilika is scheduled to be sold at auction in Kentucky in November, days after the Filly and Mare Turf.

“She’s doing super well,” co-owner Mark Schlaich said Tuesday.

He described the First Lady as a “backup plan.”

Schlaich, who owns Vasilika with George Todaro, Gatto Racing, and Hollendorfer, would prefer that the 5-year-old mare stays at Santa Anita for the Rodeo Drive.