A year ago, business partners Michele Arthur and Ruben Islas stood in the Santa Anita Park winner's circle after their 2-year-old colt Intrepido won the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) on dirt. This time they did it with a 2-year-old filly, Vanta, who captured the Oct. 4 Surfer Girl Stakes (G3T) on turf.
So named after "the darkest shade of black," Islas said, with Arthur adding that "when she gets hot and sweaty, she's black," Vanta has shown a penchant for coming from off the pace. She used that method in her two races at Del Mar, both wins, which included the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. Vanta turned in the same type of performance in the 1-mile Surfer Girl.
Blockade set the early fractions of :23.19 and :48.07, leading by 2-3 lengths. Vanta, the 1-5 favorite ridden by Umberto Rispoli, raced ahead of only one of her six rivals after a quarter mile and then moved into fifth. She came inside around the second turn, splitting horses at the top of the stretch, and took the lead to score by three-quarters of a length in 1:35.17. Blockade and Big Blast finished second and third.
"One thing she has is class," Rispoli said. "You can sit her wherever you want. That's the difference that makes good horses and great horses. She will keep improving and be better than what she is now."
Arthur and Islas live in San Diego, and Arthur said that during the Del Mar meeting, "we were there every day at the barn."
They still manage to visit often when the horses are stabled at Santa Anita.
"Michele was feeding them all carrots yesterday," Islas said.
Because of its name, the Surfer Girl trophy is an actual surfboard, and, in this case, it will get some use. Islas' 24-year-old daughter, Anissa Jacqueline Islas, surfs, and she said she would be trying it out.
Former trainer Mike Pender, now a bloodstock agent, selects all of Arthur and Islas' horses, and they keep them with several trainers, racing in the name of Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. Pender bought Vanta for $370,000 at the 2026 Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Jeff Mullins, who also trained Intrepido, trains her.
Sequel Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm, and Truly Thoroughbreds bred Vanta in New York from the More Than Ready mare Goodn'ready. Vanta is the first stakes winner sired by Greatest Honour , whose first foals are 2-year-olds. Greatest Honour stood the 2026 season for $7,500 at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington.
Video: Surfer Girl S. (G3T)
MCCARTHY RUNS ONE-TWO IN ZUMA BEACH
Though trainer Michael McCarthy saddled the one-two finishers in the Oct. 4 Zuma Beach Stakes (G3T), it was not immediately clear which 2-year-old turf runner would be declared the winner. Repo Man edged Maxify after a close stretch battle, but then the stewards posted the inquiry sign. Ultimately, they ruled no change, making Repo Man the official winner.
With the vet scratch of Off in the Corner, four entered the starting gate, with Repo Man sent off as the 4-5 favorite. The two McCarthy runners let A P Oxbow and Duty Bound ramble ahead of them in the early part of the 1-mile race, saving their best for the stretch.
Once the two McCarthy runners engaged with each other, they passed Duty Bound on the rail and came to the wire a head apart. Repo Man, with Rispoli aboard, stopped the timer in 1:36.05. Duty Bound was 4 1/2 lengths back in third.
"I think both horses are still learning," McCarthy said. "Obviously, with the Breeders' Cup right out in front of us, it is something to think about."
McCarthy trains Repo Man for Amerman Racing and debuted the colt in a 5-furlong maiden turf race at Del Mar Aug. 27. Repo Man scored by 1 1/2 lengths in his only outing prior to the Zuma Beach.
Granpollo Stable bred Repo Man in Kentucky from the Awesome Again mare Gran Nighthawk, a full sister to multiple graded winner Awesome Baby. Amerman Racing bought Repo Man for $235,000 at the 2026 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Repo Man, Seneca Park, and Extravanganzoo are stakes winners from the first crop of Golden Pal , winner of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint (G2T) and 2021 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). The stallion stood for a $25,000 stud fee in 2026 at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.
