Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, OCT. 18, 2026

• ARTISLAS DOING WELL AFTER LURE WIN; VANTA ON TRACK FOR BC • WORKS: CABO SPIRIT, LOVESICK BLUES, 2YO OUT OF GAMINE DRILL • CTHF HEALTH FAIR FOR BACKSTRETCH WORKERS IS THIS TUESDAY • 5-POUND APPRENTICE MEEKS SET TO JOIN JOCKEY’S COLONY

ARTISLAS DOING WELL AFTER LURE WIN; VANTA ON TRACK FOR BC

Trainer Jeff Mullins collected his second stakes win of the Autumn Meet Saturday when Artislas wired the field in the Lure Stakes going one mile on turf. The victory came 13 days after stablemate Vanta won the GIII Surfer Girl for 2-year-old fillies, also at one mile on turf, to improve to 3-for-3 in her young career.

On Sunday morning, Mullins reported Artislas was in good order and Vanta remains on track to compete in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 30 at Keeneland.

Artislas, a 4-year-old colt by Catalina Cruiser, won the Lure by 1 ¼ under Juan Hernandez as the 3-2 favorite. It was his third stakes win, but first since his 2-year-old season. In 2024, Artislas won both the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf and Eddie Logan at Santa Anita. That year he also crossed the wire first in the GIII Zuma Beach at Santa Anita but was disqualified for a bumping incident right near the finish line. The Lure snapped a seven-race losing streak, all stakes, and upped his record to 13: 4-0-5 with $285,600 in earnings.

The next assignment for Artislas remains to be determined.

“We’re going to let him get a drink of water then we’ll figure it out,” Mullins said.

After the win, Mullins noted from the winner’s circle Artislas “is a horse you have to give him time between races.

“He’s kind of a narrow-made horse and you just have to kind of baby him along, train him like a filly, and put him in the right spots.”

Artislas is owned by Dutch Girl Holdings, Irving Ventures, William Meathe and Jeanne Tumanian. Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures are also the owners of Breeders’ Cup-bound Vanta.

From the first crop of Greatest Honour, Vanta stayed perfect when winning the Surfer Girl by three-quarters of a length under Umberto Rispoli. She previously won the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 6.

On Thursday, 12 days after the Surfer Girl, Vanta returned to the work tab with a four-furlong drill on the main track completed in 47.0 seconds.

“We asked her for a little bit. She gave it to us,” Mullins said.

Working on the comeback trail Sunday for Mullins was another of his stable stars, Queen Maxima. Also owned by Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures, the multiple graded stakes winner drilled four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 49.20 seconds. It was Queen Maxima’s third work this month.

A 5-year-old Florida-bred mare by Bucchero, Queen Maxima hasn’t started since May when winning the Mizdirection Stakes on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. She sports a record of 16: 9-2-1 with $722,060 in earnings. Mullins says he does not yet have a race selected for her return.

WORKS: CABO SPIRIT, LOVESICK BLUES, 2YO OUT OF GAMINE DRILL

Cabo Spirit worked Sunday for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Grade I winner Lovesick Blues recorded his third work on the comeback trail and an unnamed 2-year-old colt out of champion Gamine worked a half mile Sunday at Santa Anita.

Cabo Spirit, trained by George Papaprodromou, worked four furlongs on the main track in 59.4 seconds. It was the fourth fastest of 45 works at the distance. A 7-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile, Cabo Spirit won the GII City of Hope Mile on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita to earn a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. This will be his second trip to the Breeders’ Cup. In 2024, he contested the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar and finished 12th.

Lovesick Blues, last year’s GI Bing Crosby winner, hasn’t started since a trip to the Middle East earlier this year where he finished fifth in the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint in February and eighth in the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 28. He drilled a half mile in 49.40 seconds for trainer Librado Barocio. It was the first work since Aug. 29 for the 7-year-old California-bred gelding by Grazen.

Gamine’s unnamed 2-year-old colt, by Gun Runner, is trained by Bob Baffert. He worked four furlongs in 47.4 seconds. It was his eighth work since Aug. 20. Gamine, who was also trained by Baffert, was the 2020 champion female sprinter. Her first foal, 3-year-old Truth Or Dare, by Quality Road, made two starts this summer at Del Mar. He finished seventh as the 3-2 favorite in his debut going 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 2, then checked in sixth when going one mile against maidens on Sept. 3. Truth Or Dare is a gelding.

CTHF HEALTH FAIR FOR BACKSTRETCH WORKERS IS THIS TUESDAY

The California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation Health Fair to support backstretch workers is this Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Santa Anita Clinic. Attendees must have their CHRB license to participate.

Medical and dental teams will be on site to speak with guests about the CTHF’s services and provide demonstrations on some key preventative health topics. Partnering with the CTHF are the Winner’s Foundation, Foothill Unity and Seeds of Hope. They will be on site and available to answer questions and connect people to their various services. Additionally, Seeds of Hope will be hosting a “Free Farmer’s Market” that includes a cooking demonstration.

Participants will also receive medical and dental goodie bags, healthy snacks, and can also win raffle prizes. There will also be a team on site providing free haircuts.

CTHF Executive Director Jordyn Egan noted “health fairs are a great opportunity to connect with the backstretch community and raise awareness about the services and programs offered by CTHF and our community partners.

“All CHRB-licensed members of the backstretch community are welcome to stop by, meet our team, get a free flu shot, or make an appointment for medical or dental care,” Egan said. “Our services are available year-round, and these events help us reach more people and make sure they know we're here for them.”

The CTHF is a non-profit organization that provides backstretch workers (and their families) medical, dental, optometry and referral services. In 2024, its clinic at Santa Anita had more than 2,700 dental visits, 1,700 medical visits and 150 optometry visits. Additionally, more than 450 patients were referred for specialty services.

For more information, you can contact the CTHF at (626) 446-0169.

FINISH LINES: A new apprentice is joining the Santa Anita jockey’s ranks. Set to ride at Santa Anita is 21-year-old Micah Meeks, who will be represented by agent Joe Griffin. She comes to Santa Anita by way of Horseshoe Indianapolis. Meeks has won 25 races and will receive a five-pound weight allowance. Griffin said Meeks has been working horses in the mornings here for trainers that include Richard Baltas and Ryan Hanson…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:04 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick 6 begins at 12:31 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream.