Spendarella returns from running second in the Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, only to encounter a fleet of Irish-breds in the Aug. 20 Del Mar Oaks (G1T). Four of the five fillies in the Oaks field who originally hail from Ireland now reside in the barn of California-based trainer Phil D'Amato.
Graham Motion trains Spendarella, a New York-bred daughter of Karakontie bred and owned by Gainesway Thoroughbreds. The filly took a three-for-three record to England, having scored in stakes at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland. The beaten field in the Coronation included 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Pizza Bianca.
Tyler Gaffalione, who won the April 9 Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Keeneland with Spendarella, is coming to Del Mar to ride the filly in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks. They drew post 11 in the 14-horse field.
Both Motion and D'Amato have won the Del Mar Oaks before. Motion successfully shipped Summer Soiree out in 2011, while D'Amato-trained Going Global took the race last year. Going Global added the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar for D'Amato just last week.
Bellabel heads the D'Amato quartet, with a stakes victory already at the meeting in the July 23 San Clemente Stakes (G2T). But D'Amato has also entered San Clemente second Sixteen Arches and San Clemente third Island of Love.
"She showed her class late," D'Amato said of Bellabel after she won the San Clemente by two lengths. The trainer gave Bellabel some time off after she captured the Jan. 2 Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita Park in her first U.S. start, pointing her for the Del Mar meeting.
Umberto Rispoli, who partnered Bellabel for the first time in the San Clemente, returns on her for the Oaks from post 2. Sixteen Arches has the services of Abel Cedillo from post 7, while Island of Love, winner of the May 7 Senorita Stakes (G3T), gets Del Mar leading jockey Juan Hernandez from post 3.
D'Amato's fourth Oaks starter is Rhea Moon, who drew the rail with Ramon Vazquez aboard. Third and second in two Irish starts, she broke her maiden in her third U.S. start and ran third in allowance optional claiming company at Del Mar July 24.
Several others in the Oaks field bring interesting résumés. Lucky Girl and Cairo Memories have each won back-to-back stakes this year. Lady T ran a good second in the Summertime Oaks (G2T) at Santa Anita and finished fourth in the San Clemente, and Tezzaray has a stakes win at Del Mar in last fall's Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T).
Txope and Lady Clementine are recent imports. Txope is a group 2 winner in Germany who will make her first U.S. start for trainer John Sadler. George Papaprodromou, also the trainer of Lucky Girl, conditions Lady Clementine, who broke her maiden in her first U.S. start, July 30 at Del Mar.
Gracelund Gray is coming off a win as well at Del Mar, an allowance optional claimer July 24. She won two stakes last year at Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, by a combined 37 1/4 lengths.
Del Mar, Saturday, August 20, 2022, Race 8Entries: Del Mar Oaks (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Rhea Moon (IRE) Ramon A. Vazquez 122 Philip D'Amato 30/1 2 2Bellabel (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 122 Philip D'Amato 5/1 3 3Island of Love (IRE) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Philip D'Amato 12/1 4 4Lucky Girl (IRE) Ryan Curatolo 122 George Papaprodromou 30/1 5 5Cairo Memories (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Robert B. Hess, Jr. 3/1 6 6Tezzaray (GB) Hector Isaac Berrios 122 Peter Miller 20/1 7 7Sixteen Arches (IRE) Abel Cedillo 122 Philip D'Amato 12/1 8 8Gracelund Gray (KY) Joe Bravo 122 Howard L. Zucker 15/1 9 9Txope (FR) Florent Geroux 122 John W. Sadler 5/1 10 10Gold Dragon Queen (KY) Armando Ayuso 122 Librado Barocio 50/1 11 11Spendarella (NY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 H. Graham Motion 8/5 12 12Ballet Dancing (KY) Drayden Van Dyke 122 Simon Callaghan 20/1 13 13Lady T (KY) Victor Espinoza 122 John A. Shirreffs 20/1 14 14Lady Clementine (GB) Feargal Lynch 122 George Papaprodromou 30/1
