Tarifa’s second start looks like a stark outlier. A sharp winner of her career debut and a solid first-level allowance victress last month, Tarifa on Saturday at Fair Grounds aced her stakes debut, winning the Grade 2, $300,000 Rachel Alexandra by 2 3/4 lengths over favored Intricate.  Brad Cox trains Tarifa for Godolphin, which won the 2023 Rachel Alexandra with Pretty Mischievous. Brendan Walsh, Pretty Mischievous’ trainer, trains Intricate. Pretty Mischievous went on to win the Kentucky Oaks, and the top two finishers Saturday are Oaks material. Both already have qualifying points likely sufficient to make the 14-horse Oaks field. The Rachel Alexandra was a 105-point qualifier, with Tarifa earning 50 points and Intricate 25, to boost her total to 35.  Perfect Shot, who was cleverly sent to the lead to make the most of her grinding style, held third, three lengths behind Intricate, and got 15 points. Alpine Princess, the Cox-trained winner of the Untapable Stakes two months ago in her most recent race, finished a tame and well-beaten fourth after pressing a manageable pace, and V V’s Dream was fifth, those fillies awarded 10 and five Oaks points, respectively. Pennick, the expected pacesetter, lurched awkwardly out of the starting gate and never got involved, all but eased across the wire.  :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. West Omaha, a third Cox-trained filly, was an early scratch and could run next weekend at Oaklawn Park.  As for Tarifa, her first start, over an extended seven furlongs at Keeneland, produced a sharp six-length victory. Sent off at 6-5 in a Nov. 25 Churchill Downs allowance race, Tarifa never contended, finishing fourth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths.  “She acted like she could run before we debuted her. Big head-scratcher there in her second start at Churchill,” Cox said.  Tarifa, racing without the blinkers she had worn her first two races, returned Jan. 20 and was an odds-on winner at the first allowance level, earning an 86 Beyer, best among the six Rachel Alexandra runners. That figure, plus the fact that favored Intricate hadn’t raced since winning the Grade 2 Golden Rod about three months ago, wasn’t reflected in the betting – until the very end. Tarifa still was 6-1 in the starting gate but crossed the wire the 5-2 second choice, paying $7.  Tarifa broke alertly enough from post 1 and Prat, riding the filly for the first time, was able to position his mount perfectly, racing third just behind Perfect Shot and inside Alpine Princess. Intricate found herself in a less-favorable spot, behind Tarifa and locked along the fence inside Pennick. Perfect Shot’s half-mile split over a track that was still a sloppy, sealed mess was a moderate 48.55, giving an edge to the three horses closest to the pace.   With V V’s Dream fading into the homestretch, Prat was able to guide Tarifa outside Perfect Shot and challenge Perfect Shot, though once Tarifa hit the front, she switched back to her wrong lead before getting back on her proper lead in the final 150 yards. Intricate had to come about five paths wide, Tarifa getting the jump on her, and Intricate, too, went over to her wrong lead in the final furlong.  “She traveled well all the way around,” Prat said.  Tarifa, a homebred by Bernardini out of Kite Beach, by Awesome Again, clocked 1:45.28 for the 1 1/16 miles, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure, the same number given to the Risen Star winner, Sierra Leone.   Cox has two Oaks wins, with Shedaresthedevil in 2020 and Monomoy Girl in 2018. Godolphin won their first last year with Pretty Mischievous. The Rachel Alexandra has, for years, been a key prep for the May classic.  “We know it’s been a great path to the Kentucky Oaks,” Cox said. “She’s a good filly and hopefully we can march forward.”  Tarifa took a sizeable step Saturday.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.