Vahva enhanced her resume as a leader in the filly and mare sprint division Saturday with a sharp victory in the $250,000 Chicago Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old filly pressed Grade 1 winner and defending Chicago victor Society through the far turn and into the stretch before taking command to win by a length and a half underneath jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Vahva is 4-for-4 lifetime at Churchill: previously she broke her maiden there as a 2-year-old, prevailed on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in 2023, and scored a Grade 1 triumph on May 4 in the Derby City Distaff.

“She loves this long stretch here at Churchill Downs,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said.

Vahva will now take aim at the Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on August 24 before she zeroes in on the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) on November 2 at Del Mar.

Cherie said, “We mapped out her campaign with three targets. She passed the first one with the Derby City Distaff. Then [it will be] the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga and eventually the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar. We’ll play things by ear on what races we use to get to these targets but this was an important one for us today in helping us continue our path to the Breeders’ Cup.”