Bob Baffert’s Internallyflawless holds off longshot, favorite to win $350,000 Del Mar Oaks
By APSunday, August 23, 2009
Baffert’s Internallyflawless wins Del Mar Oaks
DEL MAR, Calif. — Trainer Bob Baffert’s filly Internallyflawless held off longshot Nan by a half length Saturday to win the Grade 1 $350,000 Del Mar Oaks.
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Internallyflawless was second in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies in the early stages of the race, took the lead on the final turn and held on for the win, covering 1 1-8 miles on the turf in 1:49.46.
“I had to come out with her maybe a little earlier than I wanted to, but it worked out OK,” Gomez said. “I got a jump and she did the rest. She’s a nice filly.”
Overwhelming favorite Well Monied rallied late but only managed a third-place finish.
Internallyflawless paid $15.80, $8.20 and $4.80. Nan paid $21 and $8.40. Well monied returned $2.60 to show.
It was the second win in six starts for Internallyflawless, a chestnut daughter of Giant’s Causeway owned by Charles E. Fipke. She earned $210,000 for the win, taking her lifetime total to $267,400.
Baffert said he is pointing the filly toward the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 6.
