Fondly bounced back in a big way Saturday at Delaware Park, going gate to wire to capture the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks as the 3.90-1 fourth choice.

The 3-year-old Upstart filly shook off a troubled run in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and reaffirmed her considerable promise with a clear 3-length win in the $300,000 feature.

“It’s a big field on not-a-great track for a very inexperienced filly,” winning trainer Graham Motion said of his charge’s effort in the Kentucky Oaks. “So we were asking a lot of her, but she’s that good.”

Ridden confidently by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who won three on the day, Fondly overcame a slight bobble at the break to seize the early lead. After a solid opener in 23.53 seconds, she was able to dial back the speed, doling out splits of 49.64 for the half-mile and 1:14.66 for three quarters while racing in the two path.

Though several rivals loomed turning for home, none could match her finishing kick, and she drew off to stop the clock in 1:45.61 for the 1 1/16-mile contest over a fast main track.

“That was Irad’s plan” to go to the front, Motion joked. “I had very little to do with that. I really left it up to him. I’m so lucky to have him come here today.”

The victory was Motion’s third in the Delaware Oaks, coming 25 years after his first with Sincerely in 2000. That filly was campaigned by longtime friend and prominent Maryland breeder Larry Johnson, who passed away earlier this year.

“We won the Delaware Handicap with Power Play, with [jockey] Larry Reynolds, a long time ago [in 1997],” Motion said. “We won the Delaware Oaks with [jockey] Michael McCarthy and, you know, Larry Johnson, who’s no longer with us. So it’s a pretty cool victory.”

Fondly, who won her first two career starts including the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs, entered Saturday’s race off an 11th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2. The return to a slightly softer group and a favorable pace scenario helped her shine again.

Behind her, Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes winner Margie’s Intention unleashed a powerful late rally from the back of the pack, swinging eight wide turning for home to grab second, three parts of a length ahead of Black-Eyed Susan show horse Kinzie Queen, who also closed belatedly to take third. Favored Paris Lily, second in the Black-Eyed Susan, was up close early but faded in the final sixteenth to finish fourth.

The rest of the running order: Late Nite Call, Cassiar, Dyna Soar, Complexity Jane, and Whatintheliteral.

Fondly paid $9.80 to win and topped an exacta that returned $20.30 for a one-dollar wager.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables, Fondly now boasts three wins from four starts and has earned nearly $340,000. Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, she is out of the Istan mare Lifetime Memory.

Given how she performed today – and how Motion has handled her to date – it seems likely she’ll visit deeper waters again soon.

“I think she confirmed what we thought of her,” Motion said, adding, “She is a very easy filly. She is a very straight forward filly. She is as talented as any 3-year-old filly I have had.”