ARCADIA, Calif. –Perfect in three local stakes assignments, trainer Phil D’Amato’s streaking Irish-bred Going Global bids for her fourth consecutive turf stakes victory as she heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going a mile and one eighth on grass in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita.
Going Global’s primary opposition should come from Simon Callaghan’s recent Grade III winner Madone and Richard Mandella’s Golden, who was a solid second to Madone here in the Grade III Senorita Stakes on May 1.
Dismissed at 8-1 in her U.S. debut, the Grade III Sweet Life Stakes at six furlongs on Feb. 14, Going Global surged late to win by a half length and then took the one mile China Doll Stakes by three quarters of a length as the even money favorite on March 6.
Off at 3-5 in the Grade III Providencia Stakes and at a mile and one eighth, Going Global was attentive to the pace and prevailed in a hotly contested stretch battle to win by a neck. A winner of her final start in her native Ireland, a seven furlong race versus males over a synthetic surface Nov. 11, Going Global has now won four straight races.
With Flavien Prat engaged to ride her for the fourth consecutive time on Saturday, Going Global, who is owned by CYBT, Michael Dubb, Saul Gervitz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, will be a short price to improve upon an overall mark of 7-4-0-0 and earnings of $188,792.
Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, Madone surged late to take the one mile turf Senorita by one length at 5-2 and will hope to outrun the top selection as she stretches out a furlong off of five consecutive races at one mile on turf. With the Senorita being her first graded win, Madone, a 3-year-old filly by the Medaglia d’Oro stallion Vancouver, out of the Cherokee Run mare Indian Love Call, has three stakes wins and four victories from five overall starts.
Owned by Kaleem Shah, Madone, who was purchased for $125,000 out of a Florida 2-year-old in training sale a year ago March, has earnings of $211,300.
Next to last early in a field of 10, LNJ Foxwoods’ homebred Golden flew the final eighth of mile to finish second, beaten one length by Madone at odds of 29-1 in the Grade III Senorita on May 1.
A chestnut filly by Tapit out of the Caerleon mare Gold Round, Golden, who was no match when fifth to Going Global in the ungraded China Doll Stakes two starts back on March 6, is 4-1-0-1 with earnings of $45,940.
THE GRADE III HONEYMOON STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
Majestic Steps–Victor Espinoza–120
Quattroelle–Tyler Baze–122
Golden–Umberto Rispoli–120
Midnight Diva–Abel Cedillo–120
Pizzazz–Mike Smith–122
Going Global–Flavien Prat–124
Madone–Juan Hernandez–124
First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
Santa Anita Park Press Release
Photo: Going Global, (Benoit)
