Favored Treasured Up, making her first start on dirt since she was a maiden, outlasted Angel Terrace in the stretch run to win the off-the-turf $220,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial July 13 at Delaware Park for her second straight stakes tally (VIDEO).
Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Treasured Up was a 1 3/4-length winner in the Dick Memorial, which was originally scheduled as a grade III event at 1 3/8 miles on turf. It was moved to the wet/fast main track after heavy showers a day earlier and contested at 1 1/4 miles, which 4-year-old Treasured Up covered in 2:05.92.
Treasured Up is trained by Albert Stall Jr. for Spendthrift Farm, which paid $450,000 for the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro from the Lane's End, agent, consignment at the Fasig-Tipton selected yearling sale at Saratoga in 2010. Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm out of the winning Well Decorated mare Melisma, she is a half sibling to $1.2 million earner Choctaw Nation, a two-time grade II winner by Louis Quatorze who ran third in the 2005 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup. (UAE-I).
Half of the original field of 10 fillies and mares was scratched.
Treasured Up was always comfortable while stalking Game Fair and Explainable in third on the outside. An opening half mile was timed in a slow :51.37 and the mile in 1:41.67 as Explainable took the lead from the tiring Game Fair rounding the final turn.
But Treasured Up pounced on Explainable to take a clear lead into the stretch and she held fast through the drive as second choice Angel Terrace and Josha Navarro gave game chase. Explainable was third under Luis Garcia, 5 3/4 lengths farther behind. Clare Skies Ahead and Game Fair trailed.
The winner was coming off a head victory in the May 18 Keertana Stakes at 11 furlongs on the Churchill Downs turf for her first stakes victory. She chalked up her fifth career win from 13 starts and boosted her earnings to $288,533.
Treasured Up paid $3.60, $2.20, $2.10, keying a $10.40 exacta with Angel Terrace, who returned $2.80 and $2.40. Explainable paid $2.60.
Scratched were Aigue Marine, Laughing, Quschchi (GB), Tannery, and Valiant Girl.
Treasured Up comes home strong to win the Robert G. Dick Memorial.
