Honey Ryder Convincing Winner at Delaware

Glencrest Farm's odds-on favorite Honey Ryder pounded out a convincing 5 1/4-length victory over nine rivals in the $296,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial for fillies and mares at Delaware Park Saturday.

Ridden by Edgar Prado, the 4-year-old daughter of Lasting Approval covered the 1 3/8-mile distance over a yielding turf course in 2:20.58. Sweet Science, with Rafael Bejarano aboard, finished second. It was 1 ½-lengths further back to Natalie Beach, Mario Pino riding, in third.

Breaking from the inside post, Honey Ryder was boxed inside for the opening mile. Prado angled Honey Ryder out five wide to gain the lead coming off the far turn and they drew away under left-handed pressure down the lane.

Sweet Science and Natalie Beach each closed from far back to hit the board in spite of glacial fractions (:26, :51 2/5, 1:16 4/5, 1:41 4/5).

Honey Ryder returned $3.60, $3 and $2.20 as the 4-5 choice. She raised her career mark to six wins, a second and six thirds from 18 starts with earnings of $484,330.

Sweet Science returned $6.20 and $3.60 and the Argentine-bred Natalie Beach was $3 to show.

(Chart, Equibase)

Tracy Farmer's Royal Assault won the $100,000 RRM Carpenter Jr. Memorial with a burst in the final stages.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the 4-year-old son of Kris S. notched a length victory. Trapped Again, with Edgar Prado aboard, finished second and it was a neck further back to Super Frolic, with Jason Lumpkins, in third. Royal Assault returned $5.20 as the favorite in the field of six.

The Kentucky-bred trained by Nick Zito covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.53 over a sloppy main track. He raised his career mark to four wins, a second, and six thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $438,000.

(Chart, Equibase)