Goldencents filly gets first graded win in Santa Ana S. (G3)

In an eye-catching performance, Going to Vegas drew away from the field in the stretch to win Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Ana S. (G3) by nearly four lengths.

The win was the first graded stakes victory for the 4-year-old Goldencents filly. She had placed second in a trio of graded events late last year, including the Dec. 26 American Oaks (G1).

Owned by Abbondanz Racing LLC, Medallion Racing and MyRacehorse, Going to Vegas is 4-8-2 in 18 starts and has banked $283,751.

Breaking from the downhill turf chute in the 1 ¼-mile affair, Going to Vegas took the lead just before the field passed under the finish line for the first time. She led the sextet through six furlongs in 1:14.02 and was up a length coming into the final quarter mile. She responded readily when jockey Umberto Rispoli asked her, pulling away powerfully to win by 3 ¾-lengths in 2:00.80 on the firm turf.

”She ran her race today. Today was the first time she showed us that kind of acceleration,” said winning trainer Richard Baltas. “With this distance, it’s probably better for her to stay or even a little further, mile and three eighths, mile and a half, because she has tactical speed and she made the lead pretty easy today and she relaxed very nicely. She really kicked home nicely today.”

Going to Vegas was bred by J. Kirk and Judy Robinson and is the second foal out of Hard to Resist, a two-time stakes winner herself. Going to Vegas is the third graded winner this year for Goldencents, who leads the 2021 Fourth-Crop Sire list in six categories.