Vahva has played a special part as trainer Cherie DeVaux has continued to raise the bar for her emerging stable, and Saturday will be a key step for both of them in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar, with $1-million on the line and an Eclipse Award in the balance.

The 4-year-old filly was the early leader in the division when she scored back-to-back wins in the Derby City Distaff (G1) and Chicago Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, but only finished third in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap (G1) at Saratoga in August ahead of this showdown on Saturday. Her jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., has won four of the last seven editions of the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Cherie began emerging as a major force in 2021, the same year Vahva was acquired as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale. All along Vahva has been a standout in Cherie’s eyes, and the filly has backed her up with six wins and $1,792,810 in earnings.

Vahva will carry the torch at the Breeders’ Cup for West Point Thoroughbreds, which will be bidding for its third Breeders’ Cup victory and has been knocking on the door pretty loudly at Del Mar. In the two previous editions of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, West Point finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) with Best Performance at 15-1, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) with Untamed Domain at 12-1 and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Giant Game at 21-1.

Vahva is listed at 4-to-1 for the Filly and Mare Sprint.

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