German-bred Caprice saved ground throughout, snuck through a hole on the inside in upper stretch, and then held off Trensa by a neck to win the $171,050 Robert G. Dick Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT) July 18 on the Delaware Park turf.
It was the first graded stakes win for the 6-year-old daughter of Monsun, who is owned by NP Bloodstock and trained by Graham Motion. The bay mare completed 1 3/8 miles on the firm turf in 2:16.56 under Jeremy Rose.
Trensa, who came with a late inside run of her own under Rosie Napravnik, barely missed at odds of 13-1. She was three parts of a length better than third-place Dyna's Lassie. Astrologie, the 9-5 favorite, finished fourth after setting the pace and leading at the top of the stretch.
Astrologie, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, set fractions of :25.47, :50.63, 1:15.49, and 1:40.10, while Dyna’s Lassie pressed the pace. Caprice was close up throughout and after saving all the ground, had plenty left for the stretch drive.
Bred by Gestut Schlenderhan and out of the Generous mare Catella, Caprice recorded her fourth win from 22 starts. She made her season debut in the La Zanzara Handicap at Santa Anita and collected her first stakes win in that 1 1/2-mile contest. Most recently, Caprice was third in the May 23 Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) at Belmont.
Caprice, who raced in 2006 and 2007 in Europe, has now earned $244,851.
The winner paid $17.20, $8, and $5.20. The exacta (5-3) returned $149.80 and the trifecta (5-3-6) was $1,145.80.
Winter View, who entered with a three-race win streak and went off as the second choice, finished sixth.
