Top 2 from Del Mar Oaks may go their separate ways

The one-length victory by Going Global over Closing Remarks on Saturday in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks was the fifth stakes win in six starts this year since the Irish-bred 3-year-old filly was imported to trainer Phil D’Amato’s barn.

It avenged her lone defeat, by a half-length to Madone in the San Clemente Stakes on July 24, also at Del Mar.

“She’s just special,” D’Amato said in the immediate aftermath. “She takes on every challenge we give her and keeps on going.”

On Sunday morning, D’Amato said there was no rush to come up with another challenge.

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“We don’t have any goals in particular in the near future,” D’Amato said. “There’s an Oaks at the end of the year, but between now and then, we’ll just play it by ear, let her tell us when she’s ready to go and then find her a good spot.”

Carla Gaines, trainer of second-place finisher Closing Remarks, said with a laugh that she hoped Going Global’s next race would be “somewhere else” than against her filly.

“Her effort was huge, in my opinion, but she got trapped inside and couldn’t get out until late,” Gaines said of Closing Remarks. “We’ll see how she comes out of this and go from there. I just wish Going Global would go somewhere else. We can’t beat her.”

The Del Mar Oaks was the third runner-up effort behind Going Global for Closing Remarks this year.