Vahva capped her 2023 season on a high note by scoring in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keenelannd last October. On Saturday, she will return to action, back at her home track in Lexington, Kentucky, and with another marquee chance, this time at the Grade 1 level in the $600,000 Resolute Racing Madison Stakes.

Guiding the 4yo filly for the first time will be defending Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. Vahva is the 2-to-1 morning-line favorite, starting from the outside post in a field of eight.

The daughter of Gun Runner has been idle since she wore down pacesetter Ava Starr to prevail by a half-length in the seven-furlong Raven Run on October 21. The original plan was to move on to the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in December at Santa Anita, but her scheduled flight to California got canceled by the airline, and trainer Cherie DeVaux wound up giving her a short respite at Becky Maker’s farm near Keeneland.

The filly has been based at Keeneland for most of her career and pleased Cherie in three March workouts over the main track.

West Point also has a double chance in a Graded stakes event in Friday’s opening-day card, with Cugino and Depiction both poised for the $400,000 Transylvania Stakes (G3) on the turf course.

Cugino just missed by a neck on March 2 at Gulfstream in the Colonel Liam, which was his stakes debut. He has Hall of Fame connections: jockey Javier Castellano and trainer Shug McGaughey, who both have two prior wins in the Transylvania.

Depiction also was stakes-placed at Gulfstream this winter, finishing third in the Dania Beach in January. Joel Rosario rides for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

Daily Racing Form Preview of the Madison Stakes