by Jeff Apel

Grade 1-placed stakes winner Will O Way regained command after being headed in early stretch and turned back Point of Reference in the closing strides to earn a nose win in the $100,000 California Oaks on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

The 1-to-2 favorite in a field of seven three-year-old fillies, Will O Way moved up three wide from third and gained command approaching the stretch under Russell Baze. Oro Blanco unleashed a determined four-wide bid to overtake Will O Way and open a head lead in early stretch.

Will O Way regained command against a weakening Oro Blanco. Challenged near the finish by a hard-charging Point of Reference, Will O Way dug in with determination to win the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:45.23 on the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface.

Multiple stakes-placed winner Point of Reference finished one length clear of Grade 1-placed winner Oro Blanco, who faded to finish third.

Trained by Vladimir Cerin for Ronald Waranch and Holly and David Wilson, Will O Way is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Willow O Wisp. The Broken Vow filly entered off a third-place finish in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) on January 11 at Santa Anita Park.

Will O Way earned her first stakes win in the 2008 Corte Madera Stakes at Golden Gate. The bay filly finished third, 4 1/2 lengths behind 2008 champion two-year-old filly Stardom Bound, in last year’s Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1).

Will O Way posted her third win in seven starts and increased her earnings to $162,500. Bred in Kentucky by Fred Pace, Will O Way is one of six winners from seven starters out of the winning Woodman mare Willow Woodman.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Jeff Apel is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor