Marksman Queen holds off Spanish Eyes in Dick Memorial
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Marksman Queen, a 5-year-old mare trained by Graham Motion, dug deep to earn her second straight stakes victory in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park on Saturday.
Motion has now won the race 10 times since it was first run in 1997.
“It was an awesome performance by Marksman Queen,” Motion said. “She is such a tenacious and game mare. Jorge (Ruiz) was awesome and did a terrific job with her trip. I am amazed and humbled to win this race a 10th time. Some really good distance turf fillies have run in this race, so it is honor to win such a big race this many times.”
For nearly three decades, Motion has made the Dick Memorial a priority for his Fair Hill operation and regularly ships older fillies and mares for the 1 3/8-mile turf race. He described graded turf races at longer distances as exceedingly rare events in the region and has done his part to keep this particular race running.
In her first stakes victory last time out in the $250,000 Keertana, Marksman Queen led from gate to wire at Churchill Downs under Frankie Dettori. Jockey Jorge Ruiz clearly took note of that performance, as the mare won her first graded stakes race on Saturday in nearly identical fashion, paying $4.60 to win.
Fractional times were not posted during the race due to issues with the electronic timer, but they were not necessary to understand that Marksman Queen was clearly comfortable on the front end after breaking sharpest in the field of five. She and Ruiz entered the stretch for the first time with a one-length lead, stayed off the rail while cruising along on the backstretch, and turned for home leading by the same margin.
While the 6-5 favorite was doing her thing out in front, her four rivals raced in tight formation behind, jockeying for position to prepare for the final sprint home. But when Ruiz urged Marksman Queen forward with plenty in reserve for the stretch run, 3-2 second choice Spanish Eyes was the only one left with a winning chance.
In her second North American start for trainer Brendan Walsh, the German-bred 4-year-old filly started last after a slow break, but she gradually worked her way through the field around three turns. She was second and flying at the top of the stretch, but she had her work cut out for her chasing down the early leader.
Leaving the rest of the pack well behind, Spanish Eyes did an admirable job drawing alongside Marksman Queen, but couldn’t get past. Motion’s mare held on to win by a neck, completing the 1 3/8-mile race in a hand-timed 2:15.85. Boss Lady Bailey, a 5-year-old mare trained by Mike Maker, finished 2 3/4 lengths behind in third.
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