Unbeaten Vanta Gets Graded Test in Surfer Girl Stakes

In two starts, both wins, 2-year-old filly Vanta has shown signs of a budding star for trainer Jeff Mullins. In Sunday's Grade III Surfer Girl at one mile on turf, Vanta will look to add a second stakes win—first at the graded level—while also securing a spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Vanta, from the first crop of Greatest Honour, is a heavy 2-5 favorite on the morning line for the Surfer Girl. She improved to 2-for-2 last month in the one-mile Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf when, after a slow start, she surged past the field in the stretch to win going away by 2 ½ lengths. Vanta is out of the More Than Ready mare Goodn'ready, who was winless in one start on the track. When bred to Greatest Honour, who is best known for winning the 2021 GII Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, the Kentucky-based stallion stood for a low (by Kentucky standards) $7,500 stud feed. That didn't stop Vanta from bringing significant money three years later when put through the sales ring. At the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training, Vanta commanded $370,000 from owners Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. Mullins was not involved in the purchase. He described Vanta as a "small" filly while also adding, "You've seen what I've seen. She's just good." Mullins is now banking that the Surfer Girl will propel Vanta on to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 30. "She has to have the graded earnings," Mullins said. "If she happens to get beat here, the horse that wins will likely get in ahead of her. My filly is doing good, but this is horse racing. You can't put the cart before the horse." Jockey Umberto Rispoli rode Vanta in both previous starts and again has the call. Finishing second to Vanta in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf was Blockade, who was making her fourth start but first on turf and first around two turns. Trained by Ryan Hanson, Blockade was keen early while racing on the rail and just off the pace. She then ranged up to the lead two-wide on the second turn, continued to hold a small lead into mid-stretch, but then could not hold off the flying finish from Vanta. "She ran a really good race," Hanson said. "She had a perfect trip and made the right move to win the race. We just got run down by a better filly. We're proud of her." By Knicks Go, Blockade was purchased for $65,000 as a weanling and then failed to meet her reserve on a final bid of $170,000 at the 2025 Keeneland September yearling sale. She is owned by WSS Racing. Blockade is the 8-1 third choice on the morning line and will have regular rider Adrian Escobedo in the irons. "Hopefully we'll have the same kind of setup," Hanson said. "Vanta missed the break at Del Mar and that put her farther back. That's a really nice filly and I expect she'll be a little handier this time. But we can't worry about anyone else, we can only worry about our horse. Adrian is going to have to save ground sitting second or third. Then hopefully we can get a good run through." The Surfer Girl goes as the sixth race on a 10-race card Sunday. First post is at 1 p.m. and post time for the Surfer Girl is at 3:36 p.m. The field in post position order: Dee Snook, Kazushi Kimura (20-1); Dash, Ricky Gonzalez (10-1); Big Blast, Joel Rosario (10-1); Blockade, Adrian Escobedo (8-1); Vanta, Umberto Rispoli (2-5); River in Paradise, Drayden Van Dyke (15-1); Less Please, Hector Berrios (6-1). Trainer Michael McCarthy Runs a Pair in the Zuma Beach In Sunday's Grade III Zuma Beach for 2-year-olds at one mile on turf, trainer Michael McCarthy will saddle the top two choices on the morning line--7-5 favorite Repo Man and 2-1 second choice Maxify. Both will be making just their second starts in their stakes debuts. Repo Man is from the first crop of two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Golden Pal. Purchased at auction for $325,000 by owner Amerman Racing earlier this year, Repo Man debuted going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 27. He settled off the pace that day, then was boxed in in the upper stretch. But when finding clear racing room, Repo Man surged to score by 1 ½ lengths. "Fast horse. Nice horse," McCarthy said. "We're going to go ahead and see if he can carry his speed a mile." Jockey Umberto Rispoli rode both Repo Man and Maxify in their debut wins. He opts to stick with Repo Man on Sunday. Maxify's debut came at one mile on turf on Sept. 4 at Del Mar. A ridgling by Justify. Maxify settled in mid-pack and then rallied widest of all to get up to win by three-quarters of a length at odds of 13-1. "He's a horse we've had high hopes for all along," McCarthy said. "He trained well over the summer. We thought he might need a race but turns out he didn't." Campaigned by breeder Jay W. Bligh, Maxify is out of the Rahy mare Atayeb. "I like what we've seen since his maiden score," McCarthy said. "He's put on some weight and fleshed out. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do on Sunday. The Zuma Beach is a potential springboard to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 30 at Keeneland. The Zuma Beach goes as Sunday's fourth race at 2:35 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: A.P. Oxbow, Edwin Maldonado (30-1); Maxify, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Duty Bound, Emisael Jaramillo (5-2); Off in the Corner, Joel Rosario (4-1); Repo Man, Umberto Rispoli (7-5).