Aigue Marine earns first U.S. stakes win in Robert Dick

Haras Du Mezeray and Skymarc Farm Inc.'s homebred Aigue Marine utilized a

strong late kick and and survived a claim of foul to capture Saturday's Grade 3,

$200,875

Robert

G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park, posting a 1 3/4-length decision. Imported

to the U.S. in 2012, the five-year-old mare registered her first stakes victory

stateside.

Kendrick Carmouche had the mount for trainer Christophe Clement.

Parting Kiss showed the way after the break, setting early fractions of :25,

:49 2/5, 1:14 and 1:38 in the about 1 3/8-mile firm turf affair. Aigue Marine

saved ground while near the back of the 12-horse field during the early stages

before being guided out in the stretch drive.

Topic circled rivals on the far turn and struck the front in midstretch as

Aigue Marine came charging into contention along her outside, and Starstruck

attempted to rally between those rivals before suddenly clipping heels as the

space closed. Aigue Marine forged her way to the lead in deep stretch and won

going away under the wire.

Starstruck's rider, Kerwin Clark, claimed foul against the top two finishers

and the stewards ruled that Topic drifted out, causing the interference. She was

placed ninth.

A bay daughter of Galileo, Aigue Marine stopped the teletimer in a course

record 2:14.71 and paid $5.80 to win as the 9-5 favorite.

Concise, who wound up 1 1/4 lengths back of Topic at the wire, was elevated

a spot to second. Next under the wire came Always Kitten, She's Not Lazy,

Parting Kiss, Angegreen, Auld Alliance, Starstruck, Modernstone, Daylight Ridge

and Tapit's World. First Romance was scratched.

Bred in Great Britain, Aigue Marine earned her lone previous stakes tally in

France, capturing a listed event in 2012, and was multiple stakes-placed

overseas as well. Her only previous U.S. win came in a 2013 allowance/optional

claiming race at Gulfstream Park, but she opened 2014 with a runner-up in the

Grade 3 The Very One at Gulfstream and was exiting a head second in the Grade 3

Bewitch at Keeneland on April 24.

She returned from a 72-day freshening Saturday to record her first

graded/group stakes triumph. With the $120,000 paycheck, Aigue Marine has now

earned $298,119 from a 15-4-4-2 scorecard.

Aigue Marine's dam, the French Group 3 heroine Aiglonne, finished second in

the 2001 edition of the Robert Dick Memorial. The Silver Hawk mare has also

produced French Group 2 victor Democrate, and this is the female family of

English and French highweight White Muzzle; and Dubai World Cup winner

Almutawakel.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com