Internallyflawless scores in Del Mar Oaks

DEL MAR, Calif. - The good trip that had largely escaped Internallyflawless in her brief career finally came her way Saturday at Del Mar, and she took advantage of the situation to record her first Grade 1 victory in the $350,000 Del Mar Oaks.

Internallyflawless ($15.80) benefited from a heads-up ride from Garrett Gomez, and a sluggish pace and wide trip that compromised the chances of favored Well Monied, to score a mild upset. She turned back a tenacious Nan, a 30-1 shot, in the final furlong to win by a half-length. Well Monied was another length back in third.

Internallyflawless completed 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.46, but the story of the race was the pace and the trips. In a race where most of the 10 entrants had late-running styles, Internallyflawless fell into a comfortable second slot as Donttellmewhattodo set soft early fractions of 23.94 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 49.31 for a half-mile, and 1:14.64 for six furlongs.

"I wanted to be there," Gomez said.

As the field neared the far turn, the pace quickened noticeably, but Internallyflawless was in position to pounce. Well Monied, eighth early under Joel Rosario, launched a bold bid down the backstretch and into the far turn but was fanned four paths wide.

"She ran well. It was kind of a bad pace," said Howard Zucker, who trains Well Monied.

Internallyflawless flew through the final furlong in 11.46 seconds and ran the final three furlongs in less than 35 seconds.

Bob Baffert trains Internallyflawless for Charles Fipke, who bred and owns the daughter of Giant's Causeway. Internallyflawless was making only her second start of the year. She was a troubled fourth in the San Clemente Handicap on Aug. 1 in her first start in seven months. She was an unlucky second in last year's Miesque Stakes at Hollywood Park.