Some had good fortune in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial on Saturday at Delaware Park, and some did not. With a clear path down the center of the track, Chilean-bred mare Dona Clota earned her first North American victory by a neck, leaving her main rival Bellezza clamped down on the rail in fourth. In his first of three stakes victories on the Delaware Oaks/Derby card, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was patient aboard the 8-5 favorite in the 1 3/8-mile turf race. With a clear path from fifth in the field of six, he and his improving mare launched into contention on the far turn and rallied late to win the photo over Alluring Angel, an 8-1 outsider trained by Bill Mott. “The trip was beautiful,” Ortiz said. “The main thing was trying to get her to relax. She had been the last couple of times. Today she was relaxed every step of the way. I just bided my time, found a hole at the quarter pole and she got it done.” Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Dona Clota ran the first 11 races of her career in Chile before making her first start in the United States in January 2025. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. She has since switched hands among three trainers, and when she arrived in Joseph’s barn earlier this year, the trainer said the goal soon became getting her to relax, something Ortiz reiterated after the race. Sure enough, the world-class jockey had the right touch, and in his first ride aboard the 5-year-old she could not have been more at ease. Delaware bettors saw the improvement coming, making Dona Clota a somewhat surprising favorite. She paid $5.20 to win and completed the 1 3/8-mile distance in 2:16.77. While Dona Clota and Alluring Angel enjoyed the pleasant path down the stretch, Bellezza had a nightmarish time on the rail for trainer Miguel Clement. In the early going, the two-time graded stakes winner sat just behind Storm Miami, the Amelia Green-trained pacesetter who completed the opening quarter-mile in 26.01 seconds and half-mile in 51.89. Without much room to tip out on the far turn, jockey Jaime Rodriguez tried to slip through the rail with plenty of energy in the stretch. But as she was passing Storm Miami, the fading front-runner squeezed her on the rail, forcing her to check out of contention. After a stewards inquiry, Bellezza was elevated to third, a pittance for one who seemed set to contend with the top two near the wire. Cape Henlopen Stakes Occasionally drawing Brad Cox’s ire, Just a Touch went winless in his first eight stakes attempts, often contending in high-level fields on dirt but never breaking through for the big score. The drought finally ended in the $200,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes on Saturday at Delaware, where the 5-year-old firmly cemented his future on the turf. Coming off a distant fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, Just a Touch made his first start on grass at Keeneland in April, closing fast to win a third-level allowance. “He got a really hot pace that day to close into,” Trace Messina, Cox’s assistant, said. “So I think that's why he was able to get the job done that day. But this is what he wants to do.” Irad Ortiz Jr. was surprised she didn’t go to the lead in his win at Keeneland, but he wasted no time while stretching out to 1 1/2 miles at Delaware. “We looked for a little more ground, so that was great,” Ortiz said. “The distance hit it right on the head. Honestly, I think he was doing his own thing, and he controlled very easy.“ In his third straight stakes victory on the card, Ortiz coaxed Just a Touch to the front while completing the opening quarter-mile in 24.36 seconds. He managed to slow down the field of nine while heading down the stretch for the first time through a half-mile in 50.25. By the time he wrapped his way back around, he was firmly in command and looking for a challenge. Freedom’s Way, who chased behind the leader for most of the race, caved early in the run for home, leaving the stalking gelding Soleil Volant to make up late ground with a slew of closers. In the end, none of them came close. With plenty in reserve, Ortiz unleashed Just a Touch on the far turn and kicked clear well before the wire. He earned the gate-to-wire score by 3 1/2 lengths, completing the 1 1/2-mile distance in 2:27.63. He was bet down in his first turf stakes and paid $4.20 to win. Having run in the 2024 Kentucky Derby in his fourth start for Cox, his team always had the suspicion that the Justify horse would appreciate more distance. His switch to turf was delayed by his tantalizing touches with greatness in dirt, but there’s no turning back now. “I know he probably wants to go all day,” Ortiz said. “Last time, his first time on the grass, we felt like he was going to like it.” Soleil Volant, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Graham Motion, had no chance of catching the winner, but he and jockey Ben Curtis held second by a neck over the Kelsey Danner-trained gelding Vote No. He and Desvio, the 7-2 second choice, closed from well back but needed more. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.