ARCADIA — California horses’ prospects for the Breeders’ Cup late this month in Kentucky were looking a little brighter after another sizzling afternoon at Santa Anita.
That’s mostly because of what happened on the track.
Umberto Rispoli, hot as the 99-degree weather, made no mistakes aboard odds-on favorites Repo Man in the Zuma Beach Stakes and Vanta in the Surfer Girl Stakes to keep those 2-year-olds undefeated and on target for Breeders’ Cup races on the Keeneland turf.
It’s also because of what happened off the track.
The chances of California-based Hughes winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on day 1 of the Oct. 30-31 event grew stronger as a big speed figure made his victory in Saturday’s American Pharoah Stakes even more impressive and a potential rival back east was dropped from consideration.
First, the on-the-track developments.
Repo Man (who paid $3.60), a debut winner for owner John Amerman and trainer Michael McCarthy at Del Mar, stretched out from 5 furlongs to 1 mile on grass and rallied from last in the field of four to win the Grade III Zuma Beach by a head over Maxify and then survive a stewards’ inquiry and foul claim by Juan Hernandez on the runnerup. The four-minute inquiry was more interesting because McCarthy also trains Maxify.
“I’m staying out of it,” McCarthy, who saddled three winners Sunday, deadpanned as he awaited what turned out to be a unanimous stewards’ decision to leave the result unchanged.
Rispoli said he was trying to avoid interfering with Maxify as he went by in the stretch.
“If you watch, I was, almost down the whole stretch, concerned with keeping my horse straight rather than riding him,” said Rispoli, who added Sunday’s two victories to his wins Sept. 26 aboard Atitlan in the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship and Sorrento Sky in the Grade II Eddie D. Stakes. “I was never concerned. I knew I was going to pass him.”
McCarthy indicated he’ll consider sending both horses to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Although that race is usually won by a European horse, McCarthy and Amerman got second with Stark Contrast in 2025, and Santa Anita-based trainer Phil D’Amato got second with Iron Man Cal in 2024.
Vanta ($2.40), whose two wins this summer for owners Michele Arthur and Ruben Islas of San Diego and trainer Jeff Mullins included the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, produced less drama than Repo Man in surging from next to last in a field of seven fillies to win by three-quarters of a length over front-runner Blockade.
Mullins worried that Vanta’s relatively light earnings – the Surfer Girl purse is $100,000 – could keep her out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. But everyone else was assuming she’d be selected and go in as one of the top North Americans.
“The Breeders’ Cup is going to be a different deal,” Rispoli said. “But she’s classy.”
Santa Anita wrapped up two weekends of Breeders’ Cup preps and fans began to size up what’s likely to be a lighter California contingent than in many past years.
Hughes, the Bob Baffert-trained 2-year-old colt, was looking like a top contender for the Juvenile.
Sunday, the Daily Racing Form posted a Beyer speed figure of 100 for Saturday’s American Pharoah Stakes, the best by a 2-year-old competing at the stakes level in 2026.
Meanwhile, U.S.S. Valor, the impressive winner of Saturday’s Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, was withdrawn from consideration for the Juvenile, owner Barry Irwin saying he and trainer Shug McGaughey want to focus on preparation for the 2027 Kentucky Derby.
Saturday, Baffert had called U.S.S. Valor “pretty impressive.” He rated Hughes a “top five” contender, an assessment that already needs an upgrade.