Artislas made a late charge along the rail, taking the lead down the stretch to win the Del Mar Juvenile Turf (G3T) at Del Mar Sept. 8. The win also provided the first black-type stakes winner for his sire Catalina Cruiser.
"It's all a credit to the horse; I mean he fit in an easy hole," jockey Reylu Gutierrez said. "Not many horses have courage to do that, especially horses his age. He saved ground the whole way, he wasn't ranked at all, you know horses usually stretching out 5 ½ (furlongs) to a mile it's tough. Really professional by this horse. Future is very bright for him. I think he will do a mile, and he does everything we have expected of him in the mornings."
Mischief River took control of the race on the front end and appeared to grow stronger as he led the field of 13 to the half-mile pole. Having turned back one challenger, it became a matter of whether the stretch run would result in a coronation or a collapse.
It proved the latter.
Gutierrez rode mid-pack along the rail, allowing the field to thin itself out. Maintaining Artislas' spot on the inside, Gutierrez added urgency at the halfway mark. With four lengths as well as other rivals separating Artislas from the lead, a fading Mischief River began losing ground, helping their cause.
Several horses caught the leader, but it was Artislas along the rail with not just the clearest path forward but the most left in the tank. Not even a last-ditch charge by Sabertooth would deny Artislas, who won by half a length.
"He was sitting fourth or fifth just cruising along. I told Reylu just be patient; hopefully you'll get somewhere to go and hopefully you'll have horse when it's time to go and he said, 'Don't worry, we'll have horse,'" trainer Jeff Mullins said.
The race featured fractions of :22.18, :46.61, 1:12.21, and 1:24.44. Artislas crossed the wire in 1:36.53.
Sabertooth, Scipio, and Mischief River finished second through fourth. Artislas returned $17.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Owned by Irving Ventures (Ruben Islas, Jr.), Michelle Arthur, William Meathe, and Jeanne Tumanjan, Artislas improves to 2-0-0 from two starts after breaking his maiden Aug. 2 at Del Mar. Bred by the University of Kentucky, the colt has earned $105,000.
Mullins said the ownership group was put together by Michael Pender, who purchased the colt for $100,000 at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds from the Omar Ramirez Bloodstock consignment.
In 2024, Catalina Cruiser stood at Lane's End near Versailles, Ky. for $10,000.
