Vasilika must fend off new shooter in Royal Heroine

ARCADIA, Calif. – They keep coming at Vasilika, and she keeps turning them away.

If not for a fourth-place glitch in December, Vasilika would enter the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita with a double-digit win streak. Instead, the circuit’s top filly-mare turf runner has won “only” 10 of her last 11, including two graded stakes this winter.

Still, they keep coming at her. Vasilika’s 10 wins have come over nine different runners-up, and she faces another fresh challenger Saturday. The highly regarded Raven’s Lady, a group winner in England, makes her U.S. debut in the Royal Heroine, a $200,000 turf mile that is race 5 on a stakes-filled Santa Anita Derby card.

Jim Cassidy trains Raven’s Lady for Deron Pearson, who purchased her for approximately $463,000 at a European auction last year. Cassidy believes Raven’s Lady is ready to fire Saturday, and he was respectful even while he pondered the thought of upsetting Vasilika.

“[Stuff] happens,” Cassidy said. Raven’s Lady “is training really well. I expect her to run an ‘A’ race, certainly.”

That may or may not be enough to defeat Vasilika, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. The five others in the Royal Heroine include likely pacesetter Ms Bad Behavior and outsiders Meal Ticket, Cordiality, Space Talk, and Smoovie.

Hollendorfer claimed Vasilika for $40,000 in February 2018. Since then, the late-running 5-year-old has done more than just win five graded stakes races and $789,528. This winter, Vasilika developed a coincidental knack for boosting morale during tough times.

Her win Jan. 21 in the Grade 3 Megahertz came two days after one of her owners, Dan Gatto, died at age 63. Vasilika’s win Feb. 23 in the Grade 2 Buena Vista occurred the same day Hollendorfer-trained Battle of Midway sustained a fatal injury during a morning workout.

The 1:33.25 Buena Vista clocking by Vasilika remains the meet’s fastest turf mile (through Sunday). It will be up to jockey Flavien Prat to decide when to ask her to deliver her patented kick. Last out, Vasilika smoked the final quarter-mile in 22.86 seconds.

Vasilika and Raven’s Lady are the only graded or group winners in the Royal Heroine. Raven’s Lady won 6 of 18 in Europe, including a Group 3 at York in July and a Group 2 at Baden-Baden in Germany in August. Both were at six furlongs.

“I guess she was as sprinter over there,” Cassidy acknowledged.

No worries. “I’ve stretched a lot of them out over the years,” he said.

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Prize Exhibit, April Pride, Diamond Diva, and Ticker Tape won U.S. graded route stakes for Cassidy after beginning their careers as European sprinters.

Cassidy became particularly bullish on Raven’s Lady’s chance to upset the Royal Heroine after she posted a five-furlong dirt workout March 28 in a best-of-the-morning 1:00.20.

“She worked lights-out,” he said.

Kent Desormeaux rides Raven’s Lady.

Ms Bad Behavior merits an upset chance based on pace. Third and second behind Vasilika in her most recent starts, Ms Bad Behavior could be loose on the lead under Mike Smith.