Racing Dudes Three Stars of the Week: Bittersweet Saturday for Hollendorfer Barn

It was a sad weekend for racing fans with the tragic loss of Battle of Midway Saturday morning, who passed away after breaking down during a workout at Santa Anita. The entire racing world was impacted by this great loss. Somehow, we all pressed on with racing throughout the weekend, with stakes action at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. Let’s see how it all shook out as we begin to look towards March:

1. Battle of Midway

You can’t put into words the loss you feel when a horse passes away due to an injury suffered on the track. Battle of Midway will be sorely missed by all of us. The entire Racing Dudes team honored Battle of Midway by voting him number one with our NTRA Poll votes, and we’re honored to make him our number one star this week. If you’d like to dive even deeper into his career highlights, you can check out Curtis “Magic” Kalleward’s Tribute to Battle of Midway as well. Here is the race replay of his greatest win: the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar. RIP Battle of Midway.

2. Vasilika

This had to be an emotional win for the entire Jerry Hollendorfer team. Just hours after Battle of Midway passed away, the wonder mare named Vasilika picked up yet another impressive win in the Buena Vista Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. After dropping to the back of the pack early on in the race, Vasilika made her move on the turn, passing horses like they were standing still. She continued her drive towards the wire throughout the stretch, winning by 1 1/2 lengths in the end. Since being claimed for $40,000, this amazing mare has won 10 races from 12 starts. She easily looks to be the best horse in her division on the West Coast while becoming a fan favorite.

3.  Prince Lucky

This year’s running of the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park seemed to be a wide-open affair; however, that turned out not be the case. The Todd Pletcher-trained Prince Lucky made short work of the field, winning the race by an eye-catching 6 lengths. After stalking the pace up the backside, you could tell that the horse was loaded turning for home when he swooped by his pacesetting stablemate Copper Town with absolute ease. This win looks like it could set him up for a big 2019 season, with several major races in play after his flashy 106 Beyer speed figure. Pletcher has had some trouble with his 3-year-olds this season, but his older horses were primed for success last weekend. After reading this article, don’t forget to check out the Borgata Sportsbook.