Guilty Twelve rallied to edge 6-5 favorite Zipessa in the final strides of the $200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial (G3) at Delaware Park, establishing herself as a turf distaffer on the rise in the graded stakes debut. Five-year-old mare raced sparingly earlier in her career but has now two straight this season for Graham Motion, opening 2017 with an allowance tally at Belmont Park in mid-May.
Off as the 10-1 seventh choice among nine rivals, the Merry Fox Stables homebred was ridden by Chris DeCarlo in the 1 3/8-mile turf affair.
After dropping her first three starts in England, Guilty Twelve was sent to Motion and broke her maiden the second time out stateside in June 2016 over the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs. She added an entry-level turf allowance score at Saratoga two starts later and has now captured four of her last six starts. Her overall record reads 10-4-2-0 with $264,797 in earnings.
Zipessa tracked pacesetter Bishop’s Pond until advancing to the lead early on the backstretch of the three-turn event, with Guilty Twelve content to race in eighth during the early stages. Zipessa accelerated for home leaving the far turn, arriving in midstretch with a clear advantage, but Guilty Twelve closed determinedly to get up by a nose, stopping the teletimer in 2:17.23 on the firm course.
Gone Away offered a fine late kick to finish a head back of Zipessa in third.
Kentucky-bred Guilty Twelve is a daughter of Giant’s Causeway and hails from the Danehill mare Arkadina, making her a half-sister to French stakes winner Iltemas. She’s closely related to multiple Group 1-winning sire Montjeu.
