Former claimer Vasilika gives 'big effort' in John C. Mabee win
Claimed for $40,000 last winter at Santa Anita, Vasilika continued her rise from obscurity with an upset of 4-5 favored Cambodia in the featured Grade 2, $200,000 John C. Mabee Stakes for older fillies and mares Saturday at Del Mar.
Under a confident ride by jockey Flavien Prat, Vasilika outfinished Cambodia in the stretch drive to score by a length and one-half and extend her victory streak to six in a row for owners Mark Schlaich of Concord, Ca., Dan Gatto of Olivenhain, Ca and George Todaro, Seattle, Wash. Jerry Hollendorfer trains the four-year-old daughter of Skipshot. Third, a neck behind Cambodia, was Fahan Mura, the early pacesetter, with Meal Ticket fourth in the field of eleven.
“I had to bide my time on the turn, but when I saw a hole she gave me a great kick," Prat said. "Big race for her; big effort. Very impressive.”
Withdrawn from the race were Storm the Hill, Cordiality and Midnight Crossing.
Vasilika was second choice in the betting at 4-1 and returned $10.40, $4.20 and $3.40 while earning $120,000 to increase her lifetime bankroll to $440,595. Cambodia, seeking to repeat her 2017 stakes double of the Yellow Ribbon Handicap and Mabee Stakes after taking the Yellow Ribbon July 20, paid $2.60 and $2.20, while Fahan Mura returned $4.80 to show.
Time for the nine furlongs over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course was 1:47.25.
“We walked over with a lot of confidence," Hollendorfer said. "We respect Cambodia and Vladimir Cerin’s horse (Fahan Mura) but we thought we had a really good chance to win. She’s been training so well and doing so well.”
Drayden Van Dyke and Prat each tripled on the 11-race program, with the former retaining a two-winner edge, 37-35, entering the final two days of the 36-day Del Mar summer season. Prat’s win on Vasilika was his second stakes success of the afternoon, having also won the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante earlier.
With a carryover of $54,880 from Friday and “new” money of $326,588 Saturday for a total Pick Six pool of $481,468, there were four perfect tickets and each returned $57,339.