Streaking Vasilika faces invaders in strong Matriarch field

Since Labor Day weekend, Vasilika has extended her winning streak to eight races with three victories in graded stakes at Del Mar and Santa Anita. Along the way, Vasilika has largely beaten locally based runners.

That will change significantly in Sunday’s Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Del Mar. Half of the 14-runner field for the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes is based outside of California, and all have won graded or group stakes this year.

Many of these fillies have outstanding credentials, but Vasilika has a home-course advantage, having won twice at Del Mar this year, including the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes on Sept. 1. Plus, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Friday that Vasilika has maintained her form.

“She’s a happy camper,” Hollendorfer said. “She’s real sharp and doing really good.”

Owned by Hollendorfer, All Schlaich Stables, Gatto Racing, and Georgo Todaro, Vasilika will be favored in the Matriarch, the leading race on the final day of the Del Mar autumn meeting. Los Alamitos opens its two-week winter meeting Thursday.

Vasilika, who was claimed for $40,000 on Feb. 11 and has since earned $591,528, faces a formidable test from shippers Quidura, Rymska and Uni – all trained by Chad Brown; the French stakes winner Mission Impassible; and Dona Bruja, second in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6.

“Chad has three horses in there,” Hollendorfer said. “I don’t think he brought them out here expecting to run bad. For that kind of money, you have to expect to run against tough horses.”

Aside from Vasilika, the locally based challengers are led by the speedy Fahan Mura, who is expected to set the pace, and Insta Erma, who was third in the 2017 Matriarch.

KEY CONTENDERS

Vasilika, by Skipshot
Last 3 Beyers: 102-99-98

◗ In her last two starts, Vasilika won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Sept. 29 and the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on Nov. 4. Those races, both at Santa Anita, represent the range of Vasilika’s distance in her eight-win streak and are arguably the two best races of her 27-race career.

“You’re grateful to have a horse that’s done something like that,” Hollendorfer said of the streak. “It’s an exceptional situation. It doesn’t happen a lot.”

◗ In those races, Vasilika displayed her typical style of stalking the pace before taking the lead in the final furlong. Hollendorfer expects jockey Flavien Prat to utilize a similar strategy from post 9 in the Matriarch.

Rymska, by Le Havre
Last 3 Beyers: 104-85-93

◗ Rymska has started twice this year, with a win and a nose loss. She was second in an optional claimer in her first start of 2018 at Saratoga on Aug. 31 and won the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Belmont Park on Oct. 21. She closed from sixth to win by 2 1/2 lengths over the multiple stakes winner New Money Honey.

“She’s been training really well,” Brown said. “She’s had some setbacks, but she’s in great form right now.”

◗ Rymska will start from post 14, a difficult assignment, and will be ridden by her regular rider, Irad Ortiz Jr.

Uni, by More Than Ready
Last 3 Beyers: 98-95-93

◗ Uni is undefeated in three races this year, all stakes, including a win by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes on a yielding turf course at Belmont Park on Sept. 22.

◗ Brown said Uni needed recovery time between races. He was not thrilled that she drew post 13.

“It’s a tough post, but she’s doing well,” he said. “She had a few little minor setbacks here and there that have interrupted her schedule during the course of the year. We think it’s a good opportunity to win a Grade 1.”

Mission Impassible, by Galileo
Beyer: 97-N/A-N/A

◗ Mission Impassible won the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham for 3-year-old fillies at a mile at Chantilly, France, in June and was second to the Brown-trained Rushing Fall in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 13 in her American debut.

◗ The Matriarch will be Mission Impassible’s first start for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who has directed her preparation since the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

◗ Brisset, 35, is a former assistant to Bill Mott who began training last year. The Matriarch Stakes would be the first Grade 1 win of his career.