Going to Vegas lives up to star billing in John C. Mabee S. (G2)
September 5, 2021
Going To Vegas and jockey Flavien Prat win the Grade II $200,000 John C. Mabee Stakes Saturday, September 4, 2021 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, CA. Benoit Photo
Goldencents’ top-class filly Going to Vegas solidified her spot as one of the top female turf horses on the West Coast with a solid victory in Saturday’s $200,000 John C. Mabee S. (G2) at Del Mar.
Owned by Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Medallion Racing and MyRacehorse, Going to Vegas won the Santa Ana S. (G3) earlier this year and is now 6-8-2 in 21 starts and has earned $454,151.
The 4-year-old filly got an ideal trip under Flavien Prat. She sat in second behind the longshot Nasty until making her move with about three furlongs to run. She flew past Nasty at the top of the stretch, then easily held off the closers to get the 1 1/8-miles on the firm turf in 1:48.14.
“She was where she wants to be [second, stalking position] from the start,” said winning trainer Richard Baltas. “She’ll rate now, she used to not rate. I’m very proud of the horse coming back fairly quickly from the [allowance win] at the start of the meet to win a mile-and-an-eighth graded stakes.”
Bred by Kirk & Judy Robison, Going to Vegas is the second foal out of her stakes-winning dam Hard to Resist.
After finishing 2020 as the leading Third-Crop sire, Goldencents is atop the 2021 Fourth-Crop list with over $5.5 million in progeny earnings, six stakes winners and three graded winners.