Raqiya made every post a winning one to take the G3 Goldikova Stakes by one-and-a-half lengths at Del Mar on Saturday, 2 November.
The three-year-old daughter of Blue Point is now a three-time Stakes winner, having notched earlier victories in the G3 Oak Tree Stakes and Listed Cathedral Stakes.
Ridden confidently by Frankie Dettori, Raqiya bounced out of the gate and was hustled immediately to the lead, where Dettori was able to set a reasonable pace while controlling things from the front end. As the field headed down the backstretch, Dettori slowed the tempo noticeably, leaving Raqiya with plenty left in the tank for the final drive.
With a furlong left to run, Raqiya hit another gear and spurted away, cruising under the wire an easy winner. Raqiya is the second U.S. Graded winner for Blue Point, joining last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs.
Raqiya was bred in Ireland and races as a homebred for Shadwell. She is out of the Dansili mare, Rihaam, and is a half-sister to Stakes-placed Ribhi.
Blue Point has sired 23 individual Black Type performers so far this year. They are headed by his Classic-winning son, Rosallion, who also went onto G1 Royal Ascot glory, while Big Evs captured the G2 King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. His juvenile daughter, Sky Majesty, remains undefeated in three starts and has won the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte.
