Keeneland announced that grade 1 winner Vahva, a 5-year-old daughter of Gun Runner who has earned $2 million, has been entered in Book 1 of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Nov. 4. Lane's End, agent, will consign Vahva, who is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect. She will become the first grade 1-winning daughter of Gun Runner to be offered at public auction.
Vahva is nominated to the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) Oct. 4 during Fall Stars Weekend on Keeneland's opening three days.
"Vahva is a high-class competitor who has faced and defeated many of the sport's most talented female sprinters in each of the past three seasons," Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said. "A leading earner by Gun Runner, she will be a valuable addition to any program. Her graded stakes success at Keeneland makes her return to our sales ring especially meaningful, underscoring the unique connection between our racing and sales."
In four seasons of racing, Vahva has raced at seven tracks with seven victories, including five stakes wins, and earnings of $2,041,010. Last year, she bankrolled nearly $1 million with a campaign that featured a 2-length victory in the Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, where she also next took the Chicago Stakes (G3) by 1 1/4 lengths the following month. Vahva also ran second in the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and third in the Ballerina Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. In 2023, she won the Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland and the Charles Town Oaks (G3).
This year, Vahva captured Churchill's Chicago Stakes (G2) for the second consecutive season. The goal for her connections is a return trip to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar in advance of being showcased at the November sale.
"I've been fortunate to be around many successful mares, and Vahva has all the characteristics you look for in a future broodmare," David Ingordo of Lane's End Farm said. "She is both elegant and strong with the kind of speed you want to see in a broodmare prospect, and I believe she will carry her racing success into the next generation.
"It is strategic on our part to sell Vahva at Keeneland because we believe in the reinvestment of their dollars into the industry and community," Ingordo added. "I also believe that being able to train her at Keeneland has played a huge role in her development and success."
Vahva is out of stakes winner Holiday Soiree, a grade 1-placed daughter of Harlan's Holiday. Holiday Soiree also produced the talented Cherie DeVaux trainee Ahavah, runner-up in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in her second start earlier this year. Holiday Soiree's yearling filly by City of Light commanded $850,000 at the recent Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Trained throughout her career by DeVaux and based at Keeneland, Vahva raced for Belladonna Racing, Lynne Hudson, Edward J. Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, Twin Brook Stables, W.S. Farish, LBD Stable, Runnels Racing, and Manganaro Bloodstock.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
