ARCADIA, Calif. – Moonlight d’Oro continued her march toward the Kentucky Oaks with an emphatic victory Saturday at Santa Anita in the Grade 3, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes, solidifying her position as one of the elite 3-year-old fillies on the West Coast, if not the country. With Flavien Prat riding her as though she was much the best, Moonlight d’Oro settled at the back of the compact, five-horse field, from which Prat bided his time for the first five furlongs of the one-mile race. Three furlongs out, it was time to put an end to the hopes of the other four runners. Prat wheeled Moonlight d’Oro to the outside, and she quickly went from last to first, took command entering the lane, and never was threatened the rest of the way. She checked in 1 1/2 lengths in front of Kalypso, but the margin could have been more. There are bigger events ahead, including potentially two preps at Santa Anita – most notably the Santa Anita Oaks on April 3 – before the ultimate spring goal, the Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs. :: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report The Las Virgenes win was worth 10 points toward a berth in the Oaks, as well as $120,000 in first-prize money. Moonlight d’Oro is living up to the promise she showed before she even debuted last summer at Del Mar. Part of a highly regarded group of fillies trainer Richard Mandella had, she lost twice sprinting – at the Del Mar summer and then fall meetings – before easily defeating maidens in her first try going two turns at Los Alamitos on Dec. 13. “If I’d have jazzed her up, she could have sprinted fine,” Mandella said after the Las Virgenes. “She’s always handled everything well. She does whatever you want. We worked her the other day and she sat about four or five behind another horse, nice and relaxed, did it right.” It’s her turn of foot that makes Moonlight d’Oro so dangerous. She got to her rivals in a hurry while traveling four paths wide on the far turn Saturday. “Prat knows her. She does things willingly, does what you want,” Mandella said. Moonlight d’Oro was favored for most of the betting, but significant late action on Kalypso sent her up to the second choice, at 6-5. She paid $4.60 to win. Mandella said his only concern was that Moonlight d’Oro “got a little washy going to the gate. “And she was like a lamb when we took her over to Los Al,” he said. Kalypso, who set the early pace of 23.25 seconds for the quarter and 47.47 for the half, held second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Moraz. Brilliant Cut was fourth, and Honor America tired badly after pressing the pace and was virtually eased the final furlong. Moonlight d’Oro covered one mile on the fast main track in 1:38.01. Moonlight d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro, was a $620,000 yearling purchase. She is owned by My Racehorse and Spendthrift Farm, who were among the partners in last year’s Horse of the Year, Authentic.