How A $500 Bid To Become 'horse Parents' Led To A Kentucky Derby Contender

A kindness play tourney seems an improbable avenue into equine racing, but without specified an event, Michele Arthur and Ruben Islas wouldn’t beryllium dreaming of nan Kentucky Derby — a dream that could beryllium fulfilled aft Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby.

Not that Arthur was reasoning astir either Derby 8 years agone erstwhile she bid $500 for a behind-the-scenes circuit of Santa Anita aliases Del Mar. She wasn’t moreover reasoning astir owning a horse.

All she knew was 1 of nan auction items astatine nan tourney she helped recovered to grant a murdered friend wasn’t getting immoderate attention, and she liked horses arsenic a girl, truthful why not?

She had nary thought what that $500 would bargain her and, eventually, Islas.

A San Diego autochthonal and resident, Arthur chose to skip nan thrust to Arcadia and hold for nan short travel to Del Mar. When it came clip to go, she asked Islas, her longtime friend and husband’s business partner, if he wanted to travel along.

“Sure, yeah, I emotion horses,” said Islas, who was calved successful Los Angeles but grew up successful San Diego and still lives there.

When nan circuit ended, Arthur and Islas were introduced to a trainer, Mike Pender, who offered them a chance to bargain a half-interest successful an unraced 2-year-old for $25,000.

Arthur’s hubby quickly said no. But not Arthur and Islas.

“Come on, Michele, you’re pinch me, right?” Islas said.

“Absolutely,” Arthur said.

And truthful began their travel arsenic what Islas calls “horse parents” — a travel that has taken them to nan brink of starting a equine successful nan world’s astir celebrated equine race.

“It is truthful close,” Islas said this week.

The 2 friends and their spouses were astatine Churchill Downs past year, but only arsenic spectators. They were, however, successful nan winner’s circle connected nan time earlier nan Derby aft nan Unbridled Sidney Stakes pinch their top occurrence communicative frankincense far: Queen Maxima, a filly they bought for $40,000 who has now earned much than $630,000. They stayed for nan Derby and vowed to return (and not conscionable pinch Queen Maxima, who apt will beryllium successful nan aforesaid title again May 1).

“It’s funny,” Islas said, “because aft a mates drinks I looked astatine Mike Pender (now their bloodstock agent) and I said, ‘I don’t cognize what you’re going to do, but you’re going to get america to nan Kentucky Derby adjacent year.’ And present we are.”

Intrepido and jockey Hector I. Berrios, left, decorativeness up of Deseert Gate (Juan Hernandez), middle, and Plutarch (Kazushi Kimura), right, to triumph nan Grade I, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes astatine Santa Anita connected Oct. 4.

(Benoit Photo)

Said Arthur: “Not quite. Almost.”

In reality, they already had their “almost” Derby horse. Eighteen days earlier, Pender had convinced Arthur and Islas to spell beyond nan $300,000 limit they group to bargain a 2-year-old boy of Maximus Mischief for $385,000 astatine a waste successful Ocala, Fla.

“He said, ‘Ruben, I’m telling you, this is nan one,’” Islas said. “I’m a sucker.”

Arthur wanted to sanction nan equine Intrepid but nan sanction was taken. Islas suggested an alternative.

“I ever make that joke that your Spanish coach astir apt told you that ropa don’t mean statement and sopa don’t mean soap? Well, conjecture what: Intrepido intends intrepid. So I put an ‘o’ connected nan extremity of it.”

Six months ago, Arthur and Islas could realistically dream of Kentucky aft Intrepido won nan Grade 1 American Pharoah astatine Santa Anita. But he vanished 5th aft a mediocre commencement successful nan Breeders’ Cup Juvenile astatine Del Mar and was 2nd successful his only commencement arsenic a 3-year-old, 2 months agone successful nan Robert B. Lewis astatine Santa Anita.

Given nan points strategy utilized to find starters successful nan Kentucky Derby, Intrepido almost surely needs to decorativeness first aliases 2nd Saturday astatine Santa Anita. Third spot would time off him uncomfortably adjacent to nan bubble, apt needing immoderate defections.

“I’m connected pins and needles,” said Islas, who owns 11 horses pinch Arthur and 3 others separately. “But I’m really benignant of enjoying nan ride. I was explaining to someone, I usually power everything successful my life, but it’s truthful entertaining to power nary of it, you know?”

Islas, 57, and Arthur’s hubby ain a existent property improvement company, and Islas besides makes movies (“Border Hunters” reached nan apical 10 connected Netflix precocious past year). Arthur, who is progressive successful philanthropy and serves connected nan committee of board for nan San Diego Symphony, will move 60 conscionable a fewer days aft nan Kentucky Derby.

“It’d beryllium nan eventual 60th day present, right?” she said. “But astatine nan aforesaid clip it’s truthful acold away. So, yeah, I’m nervous.”

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, is nan co-third prime astatine 7-2 successful nan section of 7 for nan Santa Anita Derby, which arsenic nan 10th of 12 races Saturday has a station clip of 4:46 p.m. (live connected Peacock and FanDuel TV).

Bob Baffert trains nan 2 favorites, San Felipe victor Potente (2-1) and Cherokee Nation (5-2), whose lone profession triumph came successful a maiden title successful precocious February but produced nan fastest Beyer Speed Figure (100) successful nan field. All nan horses isolated from Potente apt request to decorativeness first aliases 2nd to person a chance of getting into nan Kentucky Derby starting gate, though Robusta, nan San Felipe runner-up, would person an extracurricular chance by finishing third.

Baffert besides has 2 fillies successful Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, Forced Entry (4-1) and French Blue (5-1), arsenic does Michael McCarthy, who won past year’s Santa Anita Derby pinch Journalism. McCarthy will commencement odds-on favourite Meaning (3-5) arsenic good arsenic Brooklyn Blonde (6-1).

There are 3 different stakes races Saturday, including nan title aft nan Derby, nan Monrovia, pinch Queen Maxima heavy favored to triumph for nan 2nd consecutive twelvemonth for Arthur and Islas.

This clip they’d for illustration to make it a regular double.