Going Global, Avenue de France square off again in Goldikova Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – It’s cat, mouse, and goat Saturday at Santa Anita, where Going Global and Avenue de France renew their rivalry in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes.

Avenue de France was the cat in summer at Del Mar. She pounced early, caught Going Global napping, and upset the Grade 2 John C. Mabee. A fluke? Perhaps. Going Global had soundly defeated her rival both previous meetings and is an eight-time stakes winner.

But time marches on, and roles sometimes reverse. Going Global, a 4-year-old, has lost two of her last three at odds-on. Avenue de France is 5 and never better. She won two of her last three and aims for another upset Saturday at Santa Anita.

Going Global and Avenue de France are the principals in the Goldikova, a $200,000 filly-mare turf mile with six entrants. The Goldikova is race 3 on a card with seven stakes, and it may or may not be the farewell for the favorite.

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Going Global ships Sunday to Kentucky and will be sold at auction Nov. 6. She has come a long way since her U.S. debut in February 2021, when she was an anonymous import from Ireland. She turned out to be the goat, as in the best turf filly Phil D’Amato trained.

“I’ve trained Grade 1 grass fillies, but she is the most talented of them all,” D’Amato said. “Just an amazing turn of foot. She just comes and gives it her all. With a little luck, her record could be even more impressive.”

Going Global’s eight stakes wins from 12 U.S. starts include the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Goldikova, run last year at Del Mar. Though she is to be sold at auction, her career is not necessarily over. Could she race next year at age 5?

“I don’t see why not,” D’Amato said. “She’ll go into the sale racing-fit. She could even be bought and run in the Matriarch at the end of Del Mar” on Dec. 4.

First is the Goldikova on Saturday in which Going Global is likely to avenge her odds-on loss to Avenue de France. Umberto Rispoli rides Going Global; Juan Hernandez rides Avenue de France in a rematch of the Mabee.

In that 1 1/8-mile race, Hernandez pulled the trigger early with Avenue de France, ran past Going Global into the far turn, opened up, and won by a half-length.

The daring move by Hernandez was the key to her upset, as Avenue de France’s trainer, Leonard Powell, acknowledged.

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“He caught [Rispoli] by surprise at the three-eighths when he made that move,” Powell said. “But then, Going Global had every chance to get by her and my filly dug in.”

Avenue de France’s win in the Mabee was her first graded stakes and eighth career win.

“She’s 5, and it’s her best year ever,” Powell said. “She’s at the peak of her form. I presume she’s just getting better and better.”

Avenue de France and Going Global each carry 126 pounds, picking up six pounds and four pounds, respectively. Four others entered the Goldikova, which is light on speed. Going Global should get a cozy trip positioned second behind D’Amato-trained Burgoo Alley. Three outsiders are England’s Rose, Cover Version, and Karakatsie.

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