Half Sister to Vavha Breaks Her Maiden at Keeneland

This column highlights the performances of 3-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings who are graded/group winners, or have dams who are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners. The dam of multiple graded stakes winner Vahva produced another winner in Where Luck Lives, who crossed the wire first April 3 at Keeneland. Trained by Brian Lynch, Where Luck Lives took the 6 1/2 furlong maiden race gate to wire under jockey Joel Rosario. She broke sharply and went immediately to the front, setting fractions of :22.14, :45.27, and :1:10.27. She was challenged around the far turn, but put that rival away, hitting the stretch 1 1/2-lengths in front. Where Luck Lives continued to hold steady into the stretch and won by 1 1/4-lengths on the wire. The daughter of Nyquist completed the race in a final time of 1:17.18. She earned a 93 Equibase Speed Figure and an 86 Beyer Speed Figure in her second career start. Where Luck Lives is out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Holiday Soiree, a listed stakes winner and third in the Humana Distaff (G1). Holiday Soiree is the dam of seven winners. Vahva, being her most notable, was the winner of the Derby City Distaff (G1); the Raven Run (G2); the Chicago Stakes twice, once as a grade 2 and once as a grade 3; and the Charles Town Oaks (G3). She completed her career in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1), where she finished second, and earned more than $2.2 million on the track. Holiday Soiree is also the dam of Signal From Noise, who was third in the 2024 Beldame Stakes (G2), and Ahavah, who was second in the 2025 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). Where Luck Lives is owned by Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing. It purchased her as a yearling for $725,000 at the 2024 Fasig Tipton's The Saratoga Sale. Memory scores at Santa Anita A day earlier, the Bob Baffert trainee, Memory, broke his maiden at Santa Anita Park. In the mile dirt race, the son of Uncle Mo broke sharply under jockey Juan Hernandez and settled about a length off the pace set by Authentic Patriot, with splits of :22.79, :46.64, and 1:10.48. Memory continued to stalk down the backside and, at the top of the stretch, took over from the leader. He commanded the race to the wire, breaking his maiden by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:35.98. He earned a 93 Equibase Speed Figure and a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. Memory is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare, Sundaysatthebeach. She was second in the 2019 Indiana Oaks (G3) and is the dam of First World War, who won the Kitten's Joy Stakes (G3) and the Penn Mile (G3) in 2024. He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables purchased Memory for $775,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.