ARCADIA, Calif. -- There were new rivals from across the country, a new distance, and a first start in a Grade 1 race for Rhea Moon in Monday’s American Oaks at Hollywood Park. She met all the challenges, courtesy of a patient ride from top jockey Juan Hernandez. Rhea Moon raced on the rail to the final turn and rallied when moved off the inside by Hernandez in early stretch to win her third consecutive start in the $303,000 American Oaks. Rhea Moon ($15.60) caught 11-1 School Dance in the final strides to win by a head, finishing 1 1/4 miles on turf in 2:00.75. Rhea Moon earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 88. The first two finishers and fourth-place finisher Oakhurst are trained by Phil D’Amato. :: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports.  Hernandez won for the fourth time on Monday’s 11-race program aboard Rhea Moon, a filly he has ridden in her last six starts. The familiarity paid off when Hernandez had Rhea Moon stalking the pace for the first mile on the rail. “I was saving ground,” Hernandez said. “Around the quarter pole, I came out and put my filly in the clear and she kicked home really fast. “She’s been improving in every race when she’s winning. Today, the distance was not a problem.” Owned by Rockingham Ranch and Michael Talla, the Irish-bred Rhea Moon’s winning streak includes an allowance race at Del Mar in August and her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf on Oct. 29. In the three wins, Rhea Moon rallied from off the pace. The patient style was a boost against a talented field in the American Oaks. Rhea Moon was one of six graded or group winners in a field of 11. :: Get Santa Anita Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts at the track. Available every race day.  Salimah, the 5-2 favorite, set an early pace of 23.88 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.31 for a half-mile, holding a one-length advantage. Salimah was challenged on the turn by School Dance, and relinquished her lead in early stretch. School Dance, a winner of her last three starts, led by a half-length with a furlong remaining, an advantage jockey Ramon Vazquez thought would carry him to the finish. “I felt like I had a lot of horse,” he said. “My filly never gave up. At the sixteenth pole, I thought I’d win easy. “The other horse flew outside and got me in the last jump.” Sparkle Blue, the winner of the Grade 3 Valley View Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Keeneland on Oct. 28, finished third, racing in that position for much of the race. Sparkle Blue (8-1) was beaten a length. Oakhurst (45-1) was beaten a length and a head and was followed by Skims, Pizza Bianca, Salimah, Duvet Day, Lady Clementine, Mise En Scene, and Bellstreet Bridie. Jockey John Velazquez rode Skims and lodged an objection against Vazquez for alleged interference in the stretch. The stewards denied the objection in a unanimous decision. Bellstreet Bridie, the winner of the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap in her American debut at Del Mar in November, raced wide after a troubled start and faded through the stretch. Bellstreet Bridie was the 6-1 fourth choice. Jockey Mike Smith said Bellstreet Bridie was “racked up” after the start when several fillies raced in tight quarters. “I got out of position,” Smith said. “Now, I’m stuck on the outside and never got covered up.” Rhea Moon, by Starspangledbanner, has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $371,831. She finished third and second in maiden races in Ireland in 2021 before joining D’Amato’s stable last winter. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.