Fatale Bere Edges Ollie's Candy in Del Mar Oaks
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Fatale Bere (outside) wins the Del Mar Oaks
Fatale Bere had one filly to beat in the stretch to earn her first grade 1 win Aug. 18 at Del Mar, and she found just enough.
With the clear target of Ollie's Candy ahead in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T), the Pedro the Great filly and jockey Kent Desormeaux accelerated in the final furlong and caught their rival by a neck at the wire in a final time of 1:48.14 for 1 1/8 miles over firm turf.
The victory was also the first grade 1 score for trainer Leonard Powell. Fatale Bere, who opened the year with a win in the April 7 Providencia Stakes (G3T), is owned by Benowitz Family Trust, Head of Plains Partners, Mark Mathiesen, and Mathilde Powell.
"To win a grade 1 is of great value and this filly that I scouted a year ago in France and purchased privately for owners that have been very loyal to the stable," Powell said.
The complexion of the race changed as the field approached the final turn in the Oaks, as frontrunner Animosity—who set fractions of :23.26 and :47.01 through a half-mile—ducked in and hit the rail at about the three-eighths pole and dropped back through the field.
"I don't know what happened to her," said Animosity's jockey, Tyler Gaffalione. "She was going along fine and all of the sudden she changed leads and shifted over and hit the fence. She lost her action. I had to get her back running again. I don't know what it was."
That put Ollie's Candy and Ms Bad Behavior, who were in a stalking position, into a duel to the wire. Ollie's Candy put away Ms Bad Behavior, who eventually came in fourth, but just came up short at the finish.
"It was the trip," Desormeaux said. "Today I got the trip. ... This time I got to let her go when I was ready. (It) felt good. She was really running. There were playing ping pong by the three-eighths, but I avoided all of that and just got to run my race."
It was the second tough beat for Ollie's Candy, who also finished second by a neck last time out in the July 21 San Clemente (G2T) at Del Mar.
"She was on it today—ran a really good race " said jockey Tyler Baze, who piloted Ollie's Candy for the first time Saturday. "She was push button."
Two lengths behind the top pair came Californiagoldrush, who was followed by Ms Bad Behavior, Colonia, Paved, Movie Moment, Fool's Paradise, Ms Peintour, So Hi Society, Animosity, and Streetwithnoname, to complete the order of finish.
Bred in France by SNC Regnier and San Gabriel Inv. out of the Saumarez mare Mofa Bere, Fatale Bere now has five wins from 10 starts and $422,964 in earnings.