Well Monied tops Del Mar Oaks

Honeymoon H. (G2) winner WELL MONIED (Maria's Mon) had her three-race winning

streak broken with a runner-up finish in the American Oaks Invitational (G1), but the gray filly is

eligible to bounce back with her first Grade 1 score in Saturday's $350,000

Del

Mar Oaks (G1). The Howard Zucker-trained lass will face nine sophomore

rivals in the 1 1/8-mile turf affair at the seaside track.

After breaking her maiden in late March, Well Monied captured an

allowance/optional claiming event at Hollywood in early May. She drew clear to a

convincing 1 1/4-length score when making her stakes debut in the May 31

Honeymoon, but the late-developing filly drew post 13 in the American Oaks and

suffered a very wide trip before rallying for runner-up honors behind America's

leading three-year-old turf filly, Gozzip Girl (Dynaformer). Well Monied won't

have to face that opponent at Del Mar with regular rider Joel Rosario.

American Oaks third-placer LEXLENOS (Ire) (Intikhab) merits respect in her

fourth start stateside. The chestnut has made good progress for Paddy Gallagher

since arriving from England earlier this year, placing in her last two graded

stakes attempts, and she'll look to come flying late under Alex Solis on

Saturday.

Other contenders include STARLARKS (Ire) (Mujahid), STRAWBERRY TART

(Atticus), HAMEILDAEME (GB) (Storming Home [GB]) and INTERNALLYFLAWLESS (Giant's

Causeway), the respective top four finishers in the August 1 San Clemente H.

(G2) over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, and Grade 2-placed NAN (High Yield) is

a candidate to show more following a troubled eighth in the same event.

Recent allowance winner DREAMALONG (Rahy), who owns a two-race win skein,

will return to stakes company for conditioner for Julio Canani.