Virginia Oaks winner Fondly backed up the class she showed at Colonial Downs with a front-running score in the GIII Delaware Oaks under Irad Ortiz, Jr. A sharp maiden winner at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 14, the daughter of Upstart proved the money was in the right spot as she dug out a hard-earned win going 1 1/16 miles on fast track in Virginia Mar. 15. Thrown into the deep end, Fondly beat only two rivals home under the Twin Spires in the GI Kentucky Oaks when last seen May 2. Cutting back to the Virginia Oaks distance of 1 1/16 miles, the 7-2 shot broke in line with the leaders but was swarmed on all sides and found herself in a contentious three-wide spot heading into the first turn with Complexity Jane (Complexity) hugging the rail and longshot Whatintheliteral (Lord Nelson) keeping things tight to her outside. But Fondly was faster then that pair and separated herself out to a solo lead for the run up the backstretch. Her only real pressure began to materialize with a mid-race move from 5-2 favorite Paris Lily (City of Light) who came from out the pack to grab second around the far turn past the half in :49.64. But Fondly always had her rival measured and straightened away for the wire with a powerful sprint home to leave a stacked-up field in her wake. GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes winner Marie’s Intention came from far back to get second while a photo elevated Kinzie Queen to show over Paris Lily.
“I think she confirmed what we thought of her,” said winning trainer H. Graham Motion. “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 straight forward filly. She is as talented as any 3-year-old filly I have had.”
“We had some great experiences in this race,” Motion said of his now three wins in the Delaware Oaks. “We won this race for Larry Johnson who is no longer with us. We won this race with Michael McCarthy riding for us and we came back an won this race with his son Trevor riding for us, so we have had some great experiences with this race and at this track.”
Pedigree Note:
Fondly is the sixth individual graded stakes winner for Airdrie Stud stallion Upstart. Out of a winning first dam in Lifetime Memory, she is a half-sister to GIII Peter Pan Stakes winner Antiquarian (Preservationist) who was just second in the May 31 GIII Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs. Lifetime Memory’s third foal is the now 2-year-old Final War (Divisidero). She also has a yearling Happy Saver colt and a 2025 filly by Kentucky Derby winner Mage.
Saturday, Delaware Park
DELAWARE OAKS-GIII, $300,000, Delaware, 6-14, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.61, ft.
1–FONDLY, 122, f, 3, by Upstart
1st Dam: Lifetime Memory, by Istan
2nd Dam: Silver Reunion, by Harlan’s Holiday
3rd Dam: Silver Comic, by Silver Hawk
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($50,000 Ylg ’23 FTKOCT). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Brereton Jones (KY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $155,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $339,200. *1/2 to Antiquarian (Preservationist), GSW, $314,100. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Margie’s Intention, 122, f, 3, Honor A. P.–Playful Dancer, by Into Mischief. ($57,000 Ylg ’23 FTKOCT; $185,000 2yo ’24 OBSAPR). O-Baron Stable and WinStar Farm LLC; B-Coteau Grove Farms, LLC (LA); T-Brad H. Cox. $55,000.
3–Kinzie Queen, 120, f, 3, McKinzie–A. P.’s Glory, by Mineshaft. ($140,000 RNA Ylg ’23 KEESEP). O-John Holleman and Compton Racing, LLC; B-Curtis C. Green (KY); T-Greg Compton. $32,000.
Margins: 3, 3/4, HD. Odds: 3.90, 2.50, 3.50.
Also Ran: Paris Lily, Late Nite Call, Cassiar, Dyna Soar, Complexity Jane, Whatintheliteral.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
