Flavien Prat, Going Global rally to win Del Mar Oaks

DEL MAR  >> Flavien Prat, the meet’s leading jockey who’s seeking his third consecutive Del Mar riding title, made it three consecutive stakes victories Saturday by rallying with Going Global, the 7-5 favorite, for a one-length victory in the $300,000 Grade I Del Mar Oaks.

Going Global, trained by Philip D’Amato, has now won five of six races in the U.S. after beginning her career in Ireland. Her only blemish was a half-length loss to Madone in the Grade II San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar on July 24.

The Mehmas filly earned her sixth victory in 10 starts with one second while increasing her bankroll to $468,792. Prat, who’s now won 70 stakes races at Del Mar, good for 11th most in track history, has ridden Going Global in all six of her U.S. starts.

Going Global, who rallied from fifth early on in the nine-horse field of 3-year-old fillies, ran the 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:48.91. Closing Remarks finished second, followed by the Chad Brown-trained Fluffy Socks.

“What a nice filly,” Prat said. “I mean, what more can you say about her? I don’t remember if I’ve ever done this before (three consecutive stakes victories), but it’s a great day.”

Said D’Amato: “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.”

Del Mar Handicap

Astronaut and jockey Victor Espinoza caused the biggest upset of the day, winning the $300,000 Grade I turf marathon by a half-length at boxcar odds of 24-1.

Trained by John Shirreffs, the 4-year-old son of Quality Road scored the first graded-stakes victory of his career in nine starts. He went into the race off a second-place showing in the Grade III San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita on June 19.

Winning time was 2:15.97 for the 1 3/8 miles.

United, the 2-1 favorite, could do no better than fourth, a nose behind third-place finisher Acclimate. Master Piece, 22-1, finished second, triggering a $1 exacta payoff of $458.20.

Del Mar Mile

Mo Forza, next to last much of the way in the five-horse field, rallied strongly in the stretch under Prat to beat Smooth Like Strait by a head while winning the $300,000 Grade II turf test for 3-year-olds and older for a second consecutive year.

A 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo, Mo Forza, the even-money favorite, won for the seventh time in 13 starts off a layoff of more than 10 months for trainer Peter Miller. He ran the 1 mile over a firm turf course in 1:35.03.

Torrey Pines Stakes

Even-money favorite Private Mission tracked the pacesetting Lady Mystify from second into the far turn, took the lead turning for home and cruised to a 61/2-length victory over I’m So Anna in the $100,000 Grade III event for 3-year-old fillies.

Private Mission, ridden by Prat and trained by Bob Baffert, won for the third time in four starts while stretching out to two turns for the first time. The daughter of Into Mischief ran the 1 mile on the dirt in 1:37.89.