Draw a line through it.
That turned out to be the simple explanation for Fondly's 11th-place finish on a sloppy track in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) as she bounced back as good as new in the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) at Delaware Park June 14.
The 3-year-old Upstart filly emerged no worse for wear from the first defeat in her first three career starts, and after bobbling out of the gate Saturday, took a command she would never relinquish for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. The five-time Eclipse champion jockey was able to slow down the fractions, posting splits of :23.53, :49.64, and 1:14.66.
That pace lulled the competition to sleep and when Ortiz called outside the eighth pole, she kicked away with devastating ease. Across the wire she was three lengths in front while completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.61 and paid $9.80 to win.
Margie's Intention, exiting her victory in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) last month, was stuck in last behind the slow pace but closed well to be second. Kinzie Queen was third.
It was a second stakes win for Fondly after winning the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs in March. Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, she was a $50,000 purchase from the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who co-owns the filly with Madaket Stables. With three wins in four starts, she has earned $339,200.
"I think she confirmed what we thought of her," trainer Graham Motion said. "We knew we were asking a lot of her to run in the Kentucky Oaks, but it is tempting when you have the points. It is a shame that track came up the way it did. I think it was just a tough experience for her. But look, she bounced back out right after it, trained here for three weeks and some very good works. She is a very easy filly to train. She is a very straightforward filly. She is as talented as any 3-year-old filly I have had."
Video: Delaware Oaks (G3)
In Other Stakes Action
The win capped a successful trip to Delaware for Ortiz, winning three races on the card. The Delaware Oaks was his second stakes triumph after guiding Jay Em Ess Stable's homebred Full Moon Madness to victory over Buccherino and Damon's Mound for trainer Michelle Nevin in the $100,000 Alapocas Run Stakes over six furlongs in 1:11.02.
Video: Alapocas Run S. (BT)
Jockey Paco Lopez also had a very successful afternoon, picking up four winners with two stakes victories. Both those stakes wins came in different fashions.
First in the $150,000 Obeah Stakes, Lopez looked to be water skiing down the backstretch as he attempted to harness the speed of Z W P Stable and Non Stop Stable's homebred 7-year-old mare Malibu Beauty. However, the daughter of Buffum still had plenty left in the stretch to repel all challengers and finished three lengths ahead of Gun Song and Ragtime Belle while paying $22.00. She completed 1 1/16 miles on the dirt in 1:44.61 for trainer Gary Capuano.
Video: Obeah S. (BT)
One race later in the 1 1/2-mile $200,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes on the turf, Lopez overcame a troubled trip aboard Crown's Way Racing, NBS Stable, Kevin Marko, and Eli Diamant's Vote No. The pair launched a late rally down the stretch, successfully catching Harrow and Starting Over for a three-quarter-length victory in 2:27.61. He paid $6.40 to win for trainer Kelsey Danner.
Video: Cape Henlopen S. (BT)
Jockey Luan Machado also took home his piece of the stakes action, conquering the inaugural $200,000 Delaware Derby with Albaugh Family Stables' Admiral Dennis. Exiting starts on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail, the son of Constitution was too much for his foes to handle as he stalked the pace and powered home a 3 1/4-length winner over Barbadian Runner and Kentucky Outlaw. The Brad Cox trainee stopped the clock in 1:43.57 for 1 1/16 miles on the main track and paid $6.40 to win.
