Going Global © Benoit Photo
The bay filly Going Global, handled patiently by Del Mar’s leading rider, Flavien Prat, split horses when asked at the top of the lane and raced always from her field to win by a length in the 65th running of the Grade I, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks Saturday afternoon at Del Mar.
The Irish-bred daughter of Mehmas covered nine furlongs on turf in 1:48.91 to best eight rival 3-year-old fillies as the favorite and earn a first prize of $180,000 to push her career mark to $468,792. Since coming over from her native land at the end of 2020, she’s raced six times for trainer Phil D’Amato, winning five of them, including four Graded stakes.
The score was the third straight for Prat on the afternoon, all in Graded stakes. He now has 10 stakes wins at the meeting.
Finishing second in the Del Mar Oaks was Harris Farm’s Closing Remarks who had three-quarters of a length on Head of Plains Partners’ Fluffy Socks.
Going Global returned $4.80, $3.00 and $2.40, while Closing Remarks paid $5.40 and $3.40. Fluffy Socks paid $2.80 to show.
FLAVIEN PRAT (Going Global, winner) -- “What a nice filly. I mean what more can you say about her. She’s won five out of six races. I was up a little closer today because the pace was slow early. But she was always traveling well, so I wasn’t worried. I had plenty of horse. I was just waiting to find a spot to run. When I asked her she really got going. I don’t remember if I’ve ever done this before (winning three consecutive stakes races), but it’s a great day and I hope to keep it going.”
PHIL D’AMATO (Going Global, winner) – “We got a dream ride there and this filly showed that she’s just the class of the field against a really good bunch of horses. She showed her turn of foot and got it done. She’s just special. She takes on every challenge we give her and keeps on going.”
FRACTIONS: :24.35 :48.66 1:13.59 1:37.48 1:48.91
The stakes win was the 10th of the meeting for rider Prat, but his first in the Del Mar Oaks. He now has 70 stakes wins at Del Mar, 11th most of all riders at Del Mar all time.
The stakes win was the second of the meeting for trainer D’Amato, but his first in the Del Mar Oaks. He now has 31 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winner owners ae Michael Dubb, Saul Gevertz of Oakland, CA or Michael Nentwig of Fremont, CA.