More Than Ready Miss wins Surfer Girl Stakes

More Than Ready filly Miss Southern Miss sprinted five-wide turning for home before accelerating to a two-length victory in Monday’s LR Surfer Girl Stakes (1600m) at Santa Anita.

She is the 164th stakes winner by Vinery’s champion sire and is now under consideration for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf over the same course and distance on November 4.

“According to her pedigree, she’s supposed to run like this,” trainer Keith Desormeaux said as his brother Kent led the winner back to scale.  “Since my 2yo crop came in, there’s never been a doubt as to who is No.1 in the barn.

“She relaxed today and I was confident she would run home.  She’s going to be a really good horse on this turf.”

Miss Southern Miss had won her maiden by three lengths at Santa Anita in July for Kentucky horseman Peter Cantrell.  He bred her from multiple stakes winner Miss Atlantic City (Stormy Atlantic).

Most recently fifth in the G1 Del Mar Debutante, she tried turf and two turns for the first time in the Surfer Girl Stakes and, given the result, chances are she will remain on grass for the foreseeable future.

“We have always been very, very fond of her,” Kent Desormeaux explained.  “She works the lights out but unfortunately, when she gets behind horses on the dirt, the spray sets her off.  She settled down the backside and never did take a deep breath today.  She’s very talented and I guess she just needed a little grass under her feet.”

More Than Ready stands for a $66,000 (inc gst) service fee at Vinery.

MISS SOUTHERN MISS

MISS SOUTHERN MISS