DEL MAR OAKS

Kentucky-bred Sharla Rae responded to the deft handling of James Graham in the final sixteenth to outfinish longshot Her Emmynence and clinch the three-year-old filly championship of the summer season with a victory in the featured Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks Saturday.

Always well-placed in the early stages of the nine-furlong grass race by Graham, Sharla Rae overhauled Her Emmynence in late stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in a fast 1:46.58. Prize Exhibit, the 7-5 favorite after two straight stakes successes, closed well but too late and was third, one and one-half lengths farther back. Sunset Glow was fourth.

Irish-born Graham is competing at Del Mar for the first time in his career after many years of riding on the Midwest circuit of Kentucky and Chicago. The Del Mar Oaks marked his first stakes win at the seaside track.

Sharla Rae, a daughter of Afleet Alex owned by the Brous Stable of Nils Brous of New York, N.Y., Adam Wachtel of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.  and Gary Barber of Los Angeles and trained by Doug O’Neill, earned $180,000 with her fifth win in 13 outings to increase her bankroll to $436,545. The Del Mar Oaks was her first race since she finished seventh in the Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on July 4.

Sent postward at 6-1, Sharla Rae paid $14.40, $5.80 and $3.40, while Her Emmynence, who was ridden by Rafael Bejarano, returned $9.20 and $5 and Prize Exhibit paid $2.40 to show.

There were no perfect tickets in Saturday’s Pick Six, so Sunday’s program will feature a carryover of $97,933. The Pick Six races will be six through ten. Post time for the first race is 2 p.m.

Saturday’s attendance was 20,757. 


JAMES GRAHAM (Sharla Rae, winner) – “I’ve been working her for the last while and we’ve been trying to figure her out. She’s got that wonderful late kick, but you’ve got to get it just right. Today it all came together.

“This is a treat for me; my first stakes win at Del Mar and it’s a Grade I. I don’t do things by half measure, do I?  You need to hang in and have a bit of luck. Then it happens. I’m really enjoying it here. I’d love to stay. If things keep going like they have been, maybe I will.”

RAFAEL BEJARANO (Her Emmynency, second) – “I had her right behind the speed in a good spot. I was right where I wanted to be. When I asked her she was good, but the winner was too good. She went by me as much the best today.”

SANTIAGO GONZALEZ (Prize Exhibit, third) – “I didn’t like the pace. She had too much to do.”

GARY STEVENS (Sunset Glow, fourth) – “Not her day.” 

VICTOR ESPINOZA (Majestic Heat, fifth) “She tried. That’s all you can do.”

DOUG O’NEILL (Sharla Rae, winner) – “I just loved it (the way the race developed). It was like we had a walkie-talkie to James (Graham). He was in a perfect spot and this filly has been training great. Last time she ran in New York, Joel Rosario called me after the race and said ‘If I knew this filly she would have won.’ He was afraid to use her early because he was afraid she’d run off. James put her in the race and she still shut it off and conserved herself. What a ride by James Graham.  It was a matter of me getting it right. I had her on turf, dirt, synthetic and all over the place but this (turf) is obviously where she wants to be. She’s a quality turf filly.”


FRACTIONS:  :23.08  :46.63  1:10.50  1:34.59  1:46.58


The stakes win was the first at Del Mar for rider Graham.

The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer O’Neill, but his first in the Oaks. He now has 30 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Sharla Rae is owned by the Brous Stable of Nils Brous of New York City, Adam Wachtel of Briarcliff Manor, NY, and Gary Barber of Los Angeles