Glencrest Farm's 3-10 favorite Honey Ryder earned her third consecutive victory by a hard-fought head in the $295,100 Robert G. Dick Memorial Breeders' Cup on the Delaware Park turf Saturday.
Ridden by John Velazquez, the 5-year-old mare by Lasting Approval closed from off a slow pace to just get up in the final strides, completing the 1 3/8-mile turf event on firm going in 2:20.81.
Olaya, with Ramon Dominguez aboard, cut crawling early fractions of :27.24 for the opening quarter-mile, :53.96 for the half-mile, and 1:19.93 for the three-quarters of a mile before finishing second.
It was another 2 ¼ lengths further back to Latice, with Mario Pino, in third.
Honey Ryder, toting 123 pounds – six more than her six rivals – returned $2.60, $2.10, and $2.10. The Kentucky-bred trained by Todd Pletcher raised her career record to 11 wins from 24 starts with earnings of $1,425,810.
Pletcher also won the Delaware Oaks Saturday with Adieu.
Olaya returned $2.60 and $2.40. The Irish-bred Latice was $2.60 to show.
Survivalist Takes Carpenter MemorialAlso on Saturday's Delaware card, Phipps Stable's Survivalist won the $100,000 R.R.M. Carpenter Memorial Jr. Stakes.
Ridden by Ramon Dominguez, the 4-year-old son of Danzig registered a 2 1/2-length score and returned $3.60 as the favorite in the field of six.
M B Sea, with John Velazquez aboard, finished second. It was another 3 1/4 lengths further back to Whos Crying Now, with Stewart Elliott, in third.
Survivalist covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43 1/5 over a fast main track. The Kentucky-bred trained by Claude McGaughey raised his career mark to five wins from 13 starts with earnings of $365,170.
(Chart,
Equibase)
