Santa Anita: Artislas and Sabertooth Face Off Again in Zuma Beach

The highly anticipated rematch between Artislas and Sabertooth is set to take place at Santa Anita on Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes, both horsemen looking to establish dominance at the mile distance after their recent bout in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf.

Artislas, trained by Jeff Mullins, is coming off a strong victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf where she finished a half-length ahead of Sabertooth. Under jockey Reylu Gutierrez, Artislas showcased her ability to stalk the pace effectively and finish strong. This Catalina Cruiser filly previously made a successful debut on Aug. 2 at Del Mar, winning a five-furlong turf race, and has an impressive start to her career after being acquired for $100,000 earlier this year. She’ll be looking to continue her winning form with Gutierrez aboard once again.

Meanwhile, Sabertooth, under the training of Tim Yakteen, is seeking redemption after a valiant effort in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf where he rallied from last place to nearly catch Artislas. Despite still being a maiden after three starts, his performances have shown promise, particularly his two second-place finishes in previous maiden races at Del Mar. Owned by George Sharp, Sabertooth, a Maryland-bred by Grazen, was also purchased for $100,000 last year at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling sale. He’ll aim to get his first victory with Kazushi Kimura riding again.

Another contender to watch is Ivan The Great, who finished sixth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf but had previously defeated Sabertooth in a one-mile maiden race on Aug. 18. Trained by Doug O’Neill, this Ontario-bred horse by Kantharos was purchased for $100,000 at the OBS March sale and will be looking to capitalise on his experience.

Additionally, R Heisman, a stakes winner on dirt making his turf debut, brings another layer of intrigue to the race. Trained by Peter Miller, R Heisman recently finished fifth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) but has prior stakes success in the Graduation Stakes. Owned by Gary Barber, this horse is from the last crop of the late Far From Over and will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli, who also rode him in the Futurity.

With a mix of experienced maiden runners and stakes performers, the Zuma Beach Stakes promises an exciting race as these talented 2-year-olds compete for their place on the turf.