Filimbi Avoids Trouble in Eventful Goldikova

Filimbi unleashed a powerful stretch run from last while avoiding trouble to her inside in the $200,000 Goldikova Stakes (gr. IIT) Nov. 2 to post a 1 1/4-length tally on the final card of the Santa Anita Park fall meet.

A day after stewards declined to take action against Bayern for early interference in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), they issued a double disqualification following a stretch incident in the Goldikova. They demoted original runner-up Emotional Kitten and fourth-place finisher I'm Already Sexy for causing severe interference to Wall of Sound in deep stretch.

None affected 8-5 favorite Filimbi. The long-striding gray filly closed eight paths wide out of the far turn and surged past the entire field on the far outside in an eye-catching drive to the wire. She won in fine style in a time of 1:34.13 for the one-mile test of fillies and mares on firm going.

However, runner-up Emotional Kitten, also rallying on the inside of Filimbi, was dropped to fourth for drifting in at the same time that I'm Already Sexy was getting out, causing severe issues for Wall of Sound, who was knocked sideways by the impact.

In the revised order of finish, Strathnaver was moved up to second after finishing third oiginally while being forced to check, and fourth-place finisher Wall of Sound was moved up to third. I'm Already Sexy, with Florent Geroux aboard, was demoted to fifth, one spot behind Emotional Kitten, ridden by Frankie Dettori.

With Joel Rosario aboard, Juddmonte Farms' Kentucky homebred Filimbi posted her first graded stakes victory and third win from six starts this year for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The 4-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast   is out of the sensational 2001 Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes (both gr. I) winner Flute, a daughter of Seattle Slew.

"She broke well and I could see that everybody else was sending their horse, trying to get a position early, so I just let her stay happy where she was at," said Rosario, who has ridden Filimbi in all of her U.S. starts. "I know she has a good finish so I waited and when I asked her she was there for me. She responded really well. I just took my time with her today."

Filimbi began her career for trainer Christine Head-Maarek in France, where she won three of seven starts as a 3-year-old before transferring to Mott for the 2014 season.

She won the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course in August and was most recently a close third in the one-mile First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. That race was won by Dayatthespa, who came back to capture the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) a day before the Goldikova at Santa Anita.

One of several Eastern shippers in the Goldikova, Filimbi was content to trail in a solid field of eight as 50-1 outsider Legacy took the lead shortly after the start and showed the way over I'm Already Sexy through splits of :22.67 and :46.46 for the opening half mile. I'm Already Sexy took over approaching the quarter pole as Legacy gave way, reaching six furlongs in 1:10.25, and she continued to lead an advancing Strathnaver in the homestretch.

But none was a match for Filimbi, who responded to energetic handling from Rosario to win as much the best.

Carrying 119 pounds, Filimbi rewarded her backers with a payoff of $5.20, $3.20, and $2.60 as she improved her career line to 6-3-3 in 13 starts while earning $386,263.

"We didn’t really expect the race to unfold as it did," said Rodolphe Brisset, Mott's assistant. "We let Joel make the choice from the gate. She didn’t break very well, and they were going pretty quick, 22 and change and 47 and two, so he decided to sit where he was, take a hold of her, and make one run. She’s a nice filly. She won pretty easy."

Brisset said the one-mile Matriarch (gr. IT) Nov. 30 at Del Mar could be next for Filimbi.

Andrew Stone's Strathnaver, elevated to second with Rafael Bejarano aboard for Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winning trainer Graham Motion, returned $4.20 and $3. She completed a $19.60 exacta.

"It was messed up in the last furlong, but no one was going to beat the winner," said Bejarano after wrapping up his 21st Southern California meet title.

British invader Wall of Sound, making her second U.S. start for trainer Tom Dascombe following a fourth-place finish in the E. P. Taylor Stakes (Can-IT) at Woodbine last month, paid $4.80.

Following the demoted Emotional Kitten and I'm Already Sexy were Rhagori, who was forced to take up at the sixteenth pole, 3-1 second choice Pontchatrain, and Legacy. Queen of The Sand scratched.