Vanta First Stakes Winner for Sire Greatest Honour
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Vanta and jockey Umberto Rispoli win the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar
Greatest Honour , a grade 2 winner and grade 1-placed, saw his first black-type stakes winner Sept. 6 when Vanta captured the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes at Del Mar.
An inauspicious start makes the filly's stakes win more impressive. A slow break from the starting gate had her positioned toward the back of the nine-horse field. That's where she stayed for the first half of the 1-mile test.
At that midway point, jockey Umberto Rispoli began making his move. Swinging Vanta out three wide heading into the lane, Rispoli urged his ride to close the two-length gap. Unleashing a furious rally, Vanta pulled away for a 2 1/2-length win in 1:36.30.
Vanta remains perfect through two starts, having previously won a July 31 maiden special weight at Del Mar. She has earned $108,000.
Her sire, who stood this year for $7,500 at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington, is the 12th-ranked freshman sire.
The son of Tapit wrapped up his race career in 2022 with a 3-1-4 mark from 10 starts and $446,440 in earnings. He recorded a pair of graded wins at 3, first picking up the Holly Bull Stakes (G3) before capturing the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) his next time out.
He never won again, but remained a competitive runner. He placed in the Florida Derby (G1) to cap his 3-year-old campaign. He returned at 4 with a disappointing sixth in the Challenger Stakes (G3) before concluding his racing career with a third in the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) and a fourth in the Westchester Stakes (G3).