Going Global wins Sweet Life Stakes, her first start in U.S.
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ARCADIA, Calif. - Going Global extended an international winning streak to two races with a late rally in Sunday’s Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
Going Global won a modest seven-furlong handicap against males on the synthetic track at Dundalk Racecourse north of Dublin, Ireland, in November for her first win in her fourth start. Going Global was entered in the $103,500 Sweet Life Stakes at six furlongs on turf when a first-level allowance race failed to draw sufficient entries, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
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“I thought she merited a chance in here,” D’Amato said.
The change of plans was a fortunate break.
In her first start on firm turf, Going Global closed from ninth in a field of 12 to win by a half-length over 9-1 pacesetter Five Pics Please. Going Global was fourth, 12th and 13 on turf courses rated good, yielding and soft in her first three starts, all in Ireland, from late June to early August. At Dundalk, she seemed to thrive in a change to the all-weather surface, and again on Sunday in a change to a firm turf course at Santa Anita.
“She showed that in the race she won over there,” D’Amato said. “She split the field and won going away.”
Going Global ($19.80) won the Sweet Life Stakes after jockey Flavien Prat guided the Irish-bred filly through traffic to reach the front in the final strides.
“It was a beautiful trip,” D’Amato said.
Prat is in the midst of an outstanding weekend at Santa Anita. He rode three winners on Friday, one on Saturday and four on Sunday.
Going Global was timed in 1:07.68, slightly slower than the course record of 1:07.64 set by One Flew South on Jan. 22. Santa Anita began running six-furlong races on turf from a chute on the backstretch on Dec. 26.
Going Global earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 82.
Five Pics Please set a quick pace of 21.65 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.16 for a half-mile and ran well to the finish.
“She’s a nice filly,” jockey Tyler Baze said. “She tried hard. I couldn’t believe she got outrun.”
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Nimbostratus (6-1) finished third, followed by 9-5 favorite Majestic Steps, Squared Shady, I’m So Anna, Plum Sexy, Freedom Flyer, Royal Address, Magical Thought, Go Greta, and Pizzazz.
Majestic Steps, trained by D’Amato, was favored the basis of a win in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs on turf on Jan. 2 in her American debut. Going Global and Majestic Steps were fourth and seventh in a maiden race at Limerick, Ireland, in June before they were sold to race in the United States and transferred to D’Amato.
Going Global, by Mehmas, has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $68,792. The Sweet Life Stakes was Going Global’s first start for the partnership of Michael Nentwig, Ray Pagano, CYBT and Saul Gevertz.