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‘Blossoming Before Our Eyes’: Irish-Bred Going Global Crushes Honeymoon Rivals

In one of the most impressive performances of the entire 64-day meeting, trainer Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Going Global split horses turning for home and rocketed to a 4 ¾-length win in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Going Global got 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.37 and registered her fourth consecutive North American stakes win.

Taken in-hand out of the gate, Going Global had two horses beat while fifth, about eight lengths off pacesetter Pizzazz heading into the clubouse turn. Fifth in a field of seven sophomore fillies, about four lengths off the lead while under restraint mid-way around the far turn, Prat angled out turning for home, shooting a gap between Pizzazz and longshot Midnight Diva.

From there, Going Global ran like a wild horse to the wire in a performance that could well have national implications.

“I think that she's a filly that is just blossoming before our eyes right now,” said D'Amato, the meet's leading trainer with 41 wins and co-leader, along with Baffert in stakes wins with 14. “Each performance, I thought was better than the next and this one I thought, was many lengths better than the last. It's just exciting to have a filly like this going into Del Mar and hopefully, the sky's the limit.

“For a 3-year-old filly at this time of the year, she's probably the best filly I've ever had. I've had a lot of good Grade 1-winning mares, but this early on in their career, I'd say she's definitely the best 3-year-old filly.”

A winner of three turf stakes dating back to her U.S. debut, the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes on Feb. 14, Going Global came off a hard-fought neck win in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at the Honeymoon distance and was 4-5 favorite Saturday afternoon, returning $3.60, $2.40 and $2.20.

“We had a good pace and she relaxed very well,” said Prat, who's been aboard in all of her local starts. “We were able to save ground and when she found that hole, she was very impressive. She has a great turn of foot and yes, that was a pretty good race for her, her best race so far.”

Owned by CYBT, Michael Dubb, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano, Going Global is now unbeaten in four stateside starts and has five wins from eight overall races. With today's winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $248,792.

Last to the quarter pole, Golden, who was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, rallied three-wide into the stretch and out-finished Midnight Diva by a half length for second. Off at 5-1, Golden paid $4.60 and $3.60.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Midnight Diva was an attentive third early and stayed in game fashion late to run third by 2 ¼ lengths over Quattroelle. Off at 29-1, Midnight Diva paid $7.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.89, 45.66, 1:09.79 and 1:34.59.

Racing resumes on Sunday with first post time for a nine-race card at 1 p.m.

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Equibase Analysis: Going Global Looks Tough To Beat In Honeymoon Stakes

This Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita brings together a field of seven fillies led by Going Global, who imported from Ireland to the United States this winter after a win and who has since won three straight races at Santa Anita, all stakes, including the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes last month. Another recent stakes winner is Madone, who won the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes three weeks ago. Golden finished second in the Senorita but was disqualified to sixth for interference in the stretch.

Majestic Steps was fifth in the Senorita and placed fourth after being forced to steady with a half-mile to go. She won in her U.S. debut in January but is winless in four races since then. Quattroelle finished fifth in the Providencia but won the Blue Norther Stakes last December. Pizzazz just won the California Oaks Stakes on all-weather at Golden Gate and finished third behind Madone in the Surfer Girl Stakes last fall. Last but not least is Midnight Diva, who earned her first career win in her fifth career start last month and did so at the distance of the Honeymoon Stakes.

Going Global beat 13 horses in a handicap race last November in her native Ireland, although still a maiden, before taking three months off to acclimate to her new surroundings in the United States. Debuting in mid-February, Going Global won the Sweet Life Stakes, a sprint, earning a career-best 99 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure in the process. Stretching out to two-turns, Going Global won both the China Doll Stakes and Providencia Stakes, the latter effort tying the 99 figure earned two months earlier. Jockey Flavien Prat has been aboard for all three local starts to date and rides back in the Honeymoon Stakes so it appears Going Global will be tough to keep from winning her fifth race in a row.

Golden showed a lot of ability in January in only the second start of her career when rallying strongly from sixth to win going away. Following a poor fifth place effort in March, Golden lagged far back in the early stages of the Senorita Stakes last month and was full of run on the turn when going from 10th to 5th with an eighth of a mile to go. At that point the filly shifted out and found a seam, rallying to get second at the finish line one length from winner Madone. However, the stewards ruled she had interfered with another horse and so she was disqualified and placed sixth. With a jockey change to Umberto Rispoli and a career-best 87 ™ figure to improve upon from the Senorita, Golden has an upset chance in the Honeymoon Stakes.

Madone won the first three starts of her career in the summer and fall of last year. Two of those wins came in stakes races including the Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita. In the Surfer Girl Madone earned a strong 93 figure. After trying some of the top two year old fillies on turf and finishing eighth of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November, Madone was given time off to mature. Returning to the races three weeks ago as if she had never been away for six months, Madone won the Senorita Stakes even after stumbling at the start to be away last of 10. In the Senorita Madone earned an 89 figure. Jockey Juan Hernandez, who is the second leading jockey (behind Flavien Prat) at the Santa Anita meeting, rode Madone for the first time in the Senorita. He rides again in the Honeymoon so we can expect another big effort, potentially good enough to win, particularly if the filly logically improves in her second start following the long layoff.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Majestic Steps (92), Midnight Diva (91), Pizzazz (89) and Quattroelle (93).

Win Contenders:
Going Global
Golden
Madone

Honeymoon Stakes – Grade 3
Race 7 at Santa Anita
Saturday, May 22 – Post Time 7 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Eighth on Turf
Fillies, Three Years Old
Purse: $100,000

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Irish-Bred Going Global Headlines Saturday’s Honeymoon At Santa Anita

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 3, $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita.

Going Global's primary opposition should come from Simon Callaghan's recent Grade 3 winner Madone and Richard Mandella's Golden, who was a solid second to Madone here in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes on May 1.

Dismissed at 8-1 in her U.S. debut, the Grade 3 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 3 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 3 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 3 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.

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D’Amato Looks To Have Strong Hand In May 22 Honeymoon At Santa Anita

Santa Anita's leading trainer Phil D'Amato has two 3-year-old fillies primed for next Saturday's Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes, streaking Going Global and Majestic Steps.

Both bred in Ireland, Going Global is unbeaten in three races in the United States, all stakes, the Grade 3 Sweet Life, the restricted China Doll and the Grade 3 Providencia, advancing in distance each time from six furlongs to a mile and an eighth.

The Honeymoon will be decided at a mile and an eighth.

Majestic Steps broke her maiden in her first U.S. start back on Jan. 2 and has had eventful trips in each of her races here, including the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes last out on May 1.

“Going Global proved last time a mile and an eighth wasn't a problem,” D'Amato said, speaking of the Providencia which the bay filly won by a neck despite being pinballed at the start.

“I gave her a bit of a freshening after three stakes wins in a row so I could have her ready for this race going into Del Mar.

“Majestic Steps is a hard-trying filly. If she can ever get her perfect trip, she has a chance, too, but Going Global is a more proven commodity at the moment.”

Majestic Steps' trouble lines in her five U.S. starts read like something out of a trainer's worst nightmare: “Bumped, checked twice, broke out, pinballed, three-wide turn, checked upper stretch and steadied.”

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