BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Halina’s Forte seeks her second Grade 2 victory in three races Saturday in the $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, a six-furlong tilt for fillies and mares at Keeneland.
A 4-year-old daughter of Mitole won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss over a sloppy six furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on July 20, winning by a half-length ahead of Florida-bred R Disaster in second. R Disaster has since won her next two including the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Aqueduct on Saturday.
Trainer Philip Bauer has raced Halina’s Forte only three times this year, most recently in the seven-furlong Resorts World Casino Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 23 when she finished fifth behind winner Hope Road. Halina’s Forte began the year finishing second to Faith Alone in the $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows in June.
Halina’s Forte is out of Lunarlady, by Yes It’s True and was bred in Florida by Bill and Corinne Heilegbrodt of Houston and Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck of Morriston, Fla. She has a career record of six wins, three seconds and two thirds in 15 starts with earnings of $564,450 for owners Richard and Tammy Rigney of Louisville, Ky., who run in the name of Rigney Racing LLC.
Halina’s Forte is two-time graduate of public auctions having first sold to Woodford Thoroughbreds for $130,000 out the Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield consignment at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale. Chenowith Run Stables bought her for $250,000 out of the Woodford Sales consignment at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of select yearlings.
Dylan Davis will ride Halina’s Forte, who is 8-1 on the morning line and has post three.
Favored at 7-5 on the morning line is Vahva for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
Second to Florida-bred Mystic Lake in the $250,00 Pink Ribbon going seven furlongs at Charles Town Races on Aug. 22, the 5-year-old Vahva also makes her fourth start of the year and won a Grade 2 two races back. She took the seven-furlong Chicago Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs by three-quarters of a length on June 21—a race she also won in 2024.
Vahva has won seven of 18 lifetime races with four seconds and three thirds. She has banked $2,041,010 Belladona Racing LLC, Lynne Hudson, Edward J. Hudson Jr., West Point Thoroughbreds, Twin Brook Stables, W.S. Farrish, LBD Stable LLC, Runnels Racing and Manganaro Bloodstock.
Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call on Vahva from post five.
Also entered are Taxed with jockey Luan Machado, Long Neck Paula and pilot Jose Ortiz, Vodka With a Twist has Tyler Gaffalione named to ride, Praying with John Velazquez up and Flavien Prat will be aboard Zeitlos.
Return to the October 2 issue of Wire to Wire
