Although the margin of finish was just a half-length, the winner appeared clearly best Saturday. While Going Global enjoyed a ground-saving trip around both turns, Madone took the long way around, sweeping four wide on the second turn to outkick the 2-5 chalk.

Going Global, in traffic for much of the race but who found daylight inside in the stretch, had every opportunity to win, but the turn of foot she exhibited in four earlier stakes wins this year was not as powerful as in the past.

Instead, Madone ($13.60) produced the best closing punch, rallying from ninth in the field of 10 under jockey Juan Hernandez. The Simon Callaghan trainee completed a mile on firm turf in 1:35.28, which followed fast fractions of :22.26, :45.86, 1:11.12 set by Nimbostratus  under pressure from Equilove . The leaders retreated to ninth and 10th, respectively.

“That was the plan, to lay back then come running,” Hernandez said. “Simon said to keep her covered up and save ground. That’s what I did. On the turn (for home), I took her out and she gave it to me. She really came running. Nice win for sure.”

Tetragonal  closed from fifth to be third, a length behind the runner-up. She outlasted Karakatsie  in fourth.

The former survived a stewards’ inquiry and rider’s claim of foul to hold the show. Stewards ruled that while Tetragonal under Joe Bravo did drift out somewhat into the path of the Kent Desormeaux-ridden Karakatsie, the action did not warrant disqualification.

Madone continued her love affair with the Del Mar turf course. Last year as a 2-year-old, the daughter of Vancouver  won both of her local starts over the grass, a maiden race and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes.

She later added victories in the Surfer Girl Stakes and Senorita Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita. Her only two losses in seven starts came when eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) last fall at Keeneland and sixth when racing on three weeks rest in the Honeymoon. She has earnings of $331,800.

Saturday’s win was the second in the San Clemente for trainer Simon Callaghan, who took the race with Up In Time  a decade earlier.

“I blame myself (for the Honeymoon loss); I ran her back too quickly,” Callaghan said. “She bounced. It’s as simple as that.”

She and other San Clemente starters could return in the Aug. 21 Del Mar Oaks (G1T).

Madone sold three times at auction as a younger filly, most recently at the 2020 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where agent Ben McElroy purchased her on behalf of Shah for $125,000 from the Kirkwood Stables consignment.

Bred in Kentucky by Glendalough, Madone is one of five winners from eight foals out of the Cherokee Run  mare Indian Love Call . Of the mare’s two unraced foals, one is a 2-year-old filly by Astern   and the other a Cairo Prince   yearling colt. Indian Love Call was reported bred to Caravaggio   for 20