ARCADIA, Calif. – Vasilika is likely to start in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 23 after winning her fourth graded stakes in her last five starts in Monday’s Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes.

The $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes is run at a mile on turf for fillies and mares.

“That sounds like a logical next step,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

Vasilika won the Megahertz Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths in her first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar on Dec. 2, a defeat that ended an eight-race winning streak.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sometime in the near future, perhaps as early as this weekend, jockey Kent Desormeaux will become the 18th rider to win 6,000 races in North America. Through Monday, Desormeaux’s most recent day of riding, the 48-year-old Desormeaux had 5,998 victories in the United States and Canada.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Last Saturday, trainer Anna Meah won the first race of her career with Stringent in a $12,500 claimer at Santa Anita.

Meah, 26, will be after her first stakes win on Saturday when Fiery Lady runs in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint – at least a stakes win she can keep.

Last November, shortly after Meah began training, Excellent Sunset finished first for her in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, but was disqualified and placed second for causing interference.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Michael McCarthy had a hand in many major races as a longtime assistant trainer to Todd Pletcher. But nothing compares to what lies ahead Saturday, when McCarthy will saddle City of Light as a top contender in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

“This is the most important race we’ve all been involved in, except for maybe Todd,” said McCarthy.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The day before sending out Grade 1-placed millionaire Bravazo in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will sign copies of a book about his life and career Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Lukas will be available starting at 2 p.m. Eastern in the breezeway to sign “Sermon on the Mount: The Wisdom and Life Experiences of Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas,” written and compiled by Lukas and Christina Bossinakis, with a foreword by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and longtime Thoroughbred owner Bill Parcells.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One of the more highly anticipated undercard stakes on Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup card is the first one, as the one-two finishers in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Stormy Liberal and World of Trouble, will square off again in the Gulfstream Turf Sprint at five furlongs.

Their rematch is made all the more noteworthy when considering the Beyer Speed Figures they were assigned in the Breeders’ Cup: Stormy Liberal got a 119, and World of Trouble got a 118.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mark Casse is doing it his way, as usual, bringing Shamrock Rose back to the races on his own terms.

“We could have sent her to California for the La Brea, but I honestly thought the filly had done enough to win the Eclipse Award” for top filly-mare sprinter of 2018, said Casse. “Win or lose, I’m satisfied that we did the right thing. No regrets.”

Tom Creel has been named racing secretary at Delaware Park, replacing Jed Doro, who left the position to become director of racing at Oaklawn Park.

Creel, 61, has worked as the assistant racing secretary at Parx Racing the past three years and oversaw the racing department there from last April to October after director of racing Sam Elliott accepted a position elsewhere.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park will move into a new era when it launches its 115th season of racing on Friday.

The track has reconfigured its dates, opening two weeks later than usual and running three weeks after its traditional closing card, Arkansas Derby Day, to May 4. It also has added a winner’s circle enclosure, built three new barns with five more on the way, and is introducing two new six-figure stakes races.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One couldn’t have blamed trainer Michael McCarthy if his heart was in his throat in the final moments of Tuesday’s post position draw for Saturday’s $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational – not with dreaded post 12 one of only two options left in the box for his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light.