In the ten renewals of the $300,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeders’ Cup Stakes, trainer H. Graham Motion has won the race four times. The last two years, his starters ran second to the dominant turf mare Honey Ryder, but this year he will not be facing Honey Ryder, and he may have the right filly peaking at the right time in Saturday’s 1 3/8-mile affair on the Delaware Park turf.
The Motion-trained Rosinka (IRE) will challenge Todd Pletcher trainee Safari Queen (ARG) in a field of eleven fillies and mares entered for Saturday’s supporting feature. In her last outing, Rosinka posted a 2 ¾-length score in the June 2 John Rooney Memorial going a mile and an eighth on the Delaware Park grass. Previously, the 4-year-old daughter of Soviet Star won a 1 1/8-mile Keeneland allowance April 14 for The Lavington Stud. She has a career record of four wins and two seconds from nine starts with earnings of $152,506.
"Rosinka breezed Saturday at Delaware on the turf," Motion said. "I thought she ran a huge race last time… but she made the lead much earlier than she normally would. So hopefully, Jeremy (Rose) will be able to keep her covered up this time. I think she is in good form. She is kind of a nervous type that I decided to keep at Delaware so we did not have to ship her. She seems to do well doing that. I have been pointing this filly for this race, so I hope it works out. It will be a big step up for her into this kind of company, but I think she is the kind of filly that can handle it."
Safari Queen, coming off a second-place finish in the May 26 Sheepshead Bay Handicap (gr. II), is the 123 pound highweight in the field. The 5-year-old daughter of Lode is a grade I winner in her native country, and scored victories in the Orchid Handicap (gr. III) and Bewitch Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream and Keeneland this year for Arindel Farm.
Also worth noting in the field is the presence of Christophe Clement trainee Royal Highness (GER), the only other starter in the race to carry in excess of 117 pounds. The 5-year-old daughter ofMonsun has not raced since February, when she won Gulfstream’s Very One Handicap (gr. III) by 2 lengths for Monceaux.
Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeders' Cup Stakes (Race 6, Approximate Post 3:00 p.m.) $300,000 for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward, 1 3/8-miles on the turf
1. Cozy Gain, Luis Garcia, 117
2. Safari Queen, John Velazquez, 123
3. In Return, Ramon Dominguez, 117
4. Unplugged, Rider to be Determined, 117
5. Palmilla, Mario G. Pino, 117
6. Royal Highness, Edgar Prado, 121
7. Humoristic, Ramon Dominguez, 117
8. Rosinka, Jeremy Rose, 121
9. Veyana, Emile Ramsammy, 117
10. Eres Magica, Garrett K. Gomez, 117
11. Omeya, Enrique M. Jurado, 117