Vahva blazes to bumpy victory in Chicago Stakes

Vahva won a homestretch round of bumper cars on the way to winning the Grade 3, $250,000 Chicago Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Favored at a tick less than 1-2 facing just four rivals, Vahva managed to win a classic “trap” race – a race where a heavy favorite with an important win behind her and much bigger goals ahead of her runs down to the level of the competition and suffers a shock defeat.

Not that Vahva’s main rival, Society, rates as some patsy. A Grade 1 winner, Society hits an elite performance level at her best, but in the Chicago she returned from a layoff of nearly eight months. And while Society controlled the pace from her rail draw, she ran into an in-form 4-year-old at the peak of her powers racing over her ideal distance, seven furlongs, on a surface where she now has four wins from four starts.

Vahva broke like a rocket under Irad Ortiz Jr., but Society simply is a quicker horse, coming inside Vahva to set splits of 22.44 and 44.61 seconds. Ortiz knew who he had to beat and knew what kind of horse ran along on the other end of his reins, and he moved Vahva past the three-furlong pole midway around the far turn to engage Society, who wasn’t going down without a fight. In upper stretch, Society, under Tyler Gaffalione, shouldered slightly right with Vahva alongside her; Vahva and Ortiz held their line, and the two horses bumped repeatedly, though not dramatically, before Society surrendered.

As often happens, the long layoff comeback runner who had to work hard during the middle stages tired through the final furlong, but it was 17-1 Positano Sunset and not 7-1 third choice Chi Town Lady who finished just well enough to steal second, getting up by a neck over Society. Winning time over a fast surface was 1:21.01, just three ticks off the track record.

By Gun Runner out of Holiday Soiree, by Harlan’s Holiday, Vahva has compiled a 4-2-1 record in her last eight starts and is 6 for 13 in her career. She paid a pittance, $2.92 to win.

Cherie DeVaux trains Vahva for Belladonna Racing, Lynne Hudson, Edward Hudson Jr., and West Point Thoroughbreds. The mare won the Group 1 Derby City Distaff last month, the first of three main goals this season, DeVaux said, with Vahva aimed toward the Ballerina at Saratoga and, if all goes well, the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Vahva and Society became very well acquainted on a hot Saturday at Churchill. Their rivalry could resume later this summer or in the fall.

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