Mokat Seeks Grade I Score in Del Mar Oaks

At almost every step on Mokat's road to the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), trainer Richard Baltas expressed a desire to get the daughter of Uncle Mo   back on the grass.

The filly owned by J K Racing Stable broke her maiden last summer on the Del Mar turf, then ran a close second in the Jimmy Durante Stakes (gr. IIIT) in November before embarking on a dirt campaign as a 3-year-old in 2016 (though she did run third in a turf allowance race at Santa Anita Park in February).

That's not to say Mokat wasn't capable on the main track. The dark bay or brown runner finished 13th in the Kentucky Oaks with a less-than-ideal inside trip, but picked up placings in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) and Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III), on both occasions encountering undefeated Songbird.

But back on the Del Mar grass for the San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT), Mokat found her best footing and did so impressively. She displayed a eye-popping turn of foot in the final turn and pulled away from the field in the stretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

LEWYN: Mokat Surges to San Clemente Victory

Now Mokat will look to build on that effort with a run in the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (gr. IT) Aug. 20.

"She's just better on grass," said Baltas, who has liked Mokat's runs on the surface so much he has breezed her on the Del Mar turf course in preparation for both races. "We tried on the dirt and got a grade I placing, but you can see—she just moves better on the grass. I thought she might have been a little bit short, because I gave her time off and only had two works into her, but she ran off the screen."

Returning from the San Clemente are Lady Valeur (second) and Senorita Stakes (gr. IIIT) winner Stays in Vegas (third), but the field is also dotted with runners exiting the July 17 Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar. Barleysugar won the 1 1/8-mile turf test by 2 3/4 lengths at odds of 10-1, while Cheekaboo and Mrs. Norris finished in a dead heat for second.

The Del Mar Oaks also includes fillies shipping in from the East, including two-time grade III winner Tin Type Gal from the barn of Graham Motion; New York-based grade III winner Harmonize from the barn of Bill Mott; and Mines and Magic, who finished third in the Indiana Oaks (gr. II) last time out in her first stakes try.

The Keith Desormeaux-trained Decked Out also returns from the East following a ninth-place run in the Belmont Oaks (gr. IT). The Street Boss   filly finished behind multiple Del Mar Oaks rivals in her last two starts in Southern California, but won the Providencia Stakes (gr. IIIT) in April on a yielding turf course at Santa Anita.

Last-out allowance race winner Lynne's Legacy completes the field.