Richard N. Averill’s R LADY JOY (Vicar) was content to sit off a fast pace
set by Brooke’s Halo (Southern Halo) in Saturday’s $500,300
Delaware Oaks (G2)
before taking over the lead just after the six-furlong mark and holding off
Grade 1 winner Round Pond (Awesome Again) after an exciting stretch run for a
one-length score. Ridden to victory by Jose Lezcano, the sophomore miss stopped
the clock in 1:43 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy track.
Brooke’s Halo and Jason Lumpkins shot out of the gate to obtain a 3
1/2-length advantage through an opening quarter in :23 and held a five-length cushion
after a rapid half-mile in :46 1/5. Both Lezcano and Edgar Prado, aboard 6-5
second choice Sis City (Slew City Slew), realized the early fractions were quick
and kept their mounts off the torrid early pace. Entering the turn, Sis City,
Round Pond and R Lady Joy all made their runs as Brooke’s Halo hit a wall on the
front end, maintaining a head advantage through six furlongs in 1:10 4/5 before
giving way. R Lady Joy
exited the turn a one-length leader, and still held that advantage through a
mile in 1:36 2/5. Sis City ran out of gas in the stretch as Round Pond and a
late-running Dance Away Capote (Capote) drew close to the stubborn leader, but
could not get to her in the final sixteenth.
R Lady Joy, the second-longest shot on the board at 17-1, returned $36, $5.40
and $2.80, starting the $78.20 exacta with Round Pond, who paid $2.80 and $2.10
as the even-money favorite. Dance Away Capote gave back $2.40 for the show,
rounding out the $362.80 trifecta. Sis City came next, and was followed by
Lisaized (Wayne County [Ire]) and Brooke’s Halo. Pleasant Chimes (Pleasant Tap)
and Bayou Breeze (A.P. Indy) were both scratched.
The Kirk Ziadie-trained bay was bred in Kentucky by Martha Burleson and
brought $72,000 at the 2004 OBS Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. She is out of
the multiple stakes-placed Come On Joy (Cormorant), making her a half-sister to
the two-year-old Lawanda (Pioneering), and with this win increases her earnings to $472,430, 8-3-2-2. The three-year-old lass adds this,
her first graded stakes win, to a resume that includes a victory in this year’s
Florida Oaks as well as placings in the Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) and Fantasy S.
(G2).