Madaket Stables and Bill Strauss' Sopran Basilea notched her first North American victory in the $250,300 Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) Saturday at Delaware Park, where her trainer, H. Graham Motion, won the event for fillies and mares for the ninth time.
With Jorge Ruiz aboard, the 5-year-old daughter of Night of Thunder won by a neck over Ever Summer. It was a half-length farther back to Parnac in third.
Sopran Basilea finished the 1 3/8 miles in 2:20.27 on turf rated as soft.
Previously, Sopran Basilea finished second in the Gallorette (G3) at Pimlico in her North American debut on May 20. In 2021 and 2022, the Irish-bred compiled a record of five wins, five seconds and a third from 15 starts, including two victories and three seconds in Group 2 and 3 races mostly at distances going 1 1/4 miles or longer in Italy.
“Jorge gave her a beautiful ride,” said winning trainer H. Graham Motion. “I honestly did not know she was this good, but off of her European form, she looked like she was. She ran beautiful. She tries hard, she is genuine and very honest. She ran super and she could not have done much better than that.”
Motion is not sure about her next start.
“I really have not thought much beyond this race,” Motion said. “Obviously, there is the Glenn Falls at Saratoga, which would fit, but we will see.”
Since the Robert G. Dick Memorial was inaugurated in 1997, Motion has won the race with Guilty Twelve (2017), Real Smart (2016), Caprice (2009), Rosinka (2007), Alternate (2003, 2004), New Economy (2002), and Bursting Forth (1999).
“This has been a really lucky race for us,” Motion said. “I feel very lucky, but it is not a complete surprise for us because we do train a lot of distance fillies, but we are so lucky. We have a great history with Delaware, so this is very special.”
Sopran Basilea returned $9.00 as the third choice in the field of seven and she covered the mile and three-eighths in 2:20.27 over a soft turf course. She raised her record to six wins from 17 starts with earnings of $512,145.
Sopran Basilea was bred by Adam Sexton from the King's Best mare Kathy Best. She sold for $317,225 at the 2022 Arqana December breeding stock sale in France.
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