DeVaux praises Grade 1 winner Vahva ahead of Chicago Stakes

Grade 1 winner Vahva returns to action Saturday at Churchill Downs in the Grade 3, $250,000 Chicago Stakes and trainer Cherie DeVaux feels confident her 4-year-old filly is poised for another graded stakes triumph.

“Vahva is a fairly easy horse to train, you just have to pay close attention to how she’s doing in the mornings because she’ll tell you if she’s ready to run or not,” DeVaux said. “She’s been training better than ever at Keeneland. There’s been some spacing between her races because she shows signs in the mornings that she’s not quite ready to return to action. She hasn’t shown any of those signs ahead of the race on Saturday.”

Owned in partnership by Belladonna Racing, Edward Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable, Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve Hornstock and Twin Brook Stables, Vahva recorded her first Grade 1 victory six weeks ago in the Derby City Distaff when she rallied from just off a swift early pace, cruising to a two-length score under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

“I know that it’s out of my control with the pace scenario but it’s always a little questionable when you have a short field,” DeVaux said. “Irad knows her very well and I trust he’ll have her in the right spot depending on what the early pace looks like. I think she’s one of the best fillies in the country but sometimes you never know in these short fields if someone gets a loose lead.”

Run at seven furlongs, the Chicago Stakes field also includes last year’s dominant winner Society, who has been on the early pace in 11 of her 12 lifetime starts.

Slated as the seventh race of 11, the Chicago Stakes will have a post time of 3:51 p.m. EDT. First post is 12:45 p.m. EDT.