Royal Delta reigns in Black-Eyed Susan

Royal Delta easily pulled off in the Black-Eyed Susan (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) Palides Investments NV Inc.’s homebred ROYAL DELTA (Empire Maker) put in a winning rally in Friday’s $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico to earn her first stakes victory in style. With Jose Lezcano aboard, the lightly raced Bill Mott trainee ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 3/5 to earn her biggest score to date. Hot Summer (Malibu Moon) moved up to take command when the gates opened, quickly followed to her outside by Wyomia (Vindication) and Buster’s Ready (More Than Ready). Royal Delta tracked those three about four lengths behind through splits of :23 1/5, :46 1/5 and 1:10 1/5. Wyomia suddenly began backing up nearing the turn, and Royal Delta angled out to split horses. She reached contention nearing the quarter-pole and blew past Hot Summer and Buster’s Ready, drawing away to be 2 1/2 lengths clear on the wire. “We thought she was a nice filly early on, but soon realized she was a little better than we thought,” Mott said of Royal Delta. “She just keeps improving. She just keeps coming and coming. We’re going to look at the (June 25) Mother Goose ([G1] at Belmont Park) next up in New York.” Sent off the 9-5 favorite, Royal Delta paid $5.60, $3.80 and $2.60 for the win, which boosted her career earnings to $219,600. Buster’s Ready got the best of Hot Summer by 5 1/4 lengths, with Love Theway Youare (Arch) rounding out the top four. Wyomia faded to last and Coax Liberty (Successful Appeal) was withdrawn.

Royal Delta made her racing debut in late October at Belmont Park, romping by
12 lengths before being shelved for the rest of the year. Mott brought her back
in mid-March to try stakes company for the first time, but the dark bay lass was
no factor in the Suncoast S., which was won by Wyomia. Royal Delta returned a
month later at Keeneland and captured an allowance by three lengths to ready for
this one. Her career line now reads 4-3-0-0.

The Kentucky-bred sophomore is the second registered foal out of the A.P.
Indy mare Delta Princess, who triumphed in the Locust Grove H. (G3), Beaugay H.
(G3), Mint Julep H. (G3), Dr. James Penny Memorial H., Endeavour S. and Navajo
Princess S. during her five-season long career. Delta Princess earned a little
over $740,000 while posting a 30-11-6-2 record that also included such stakes
placings as the Jenny Wiley S. (G3), Cardinal H. (G3), Violet S. (G3) and
Ballston Spa H. (G3).

Royal Delta has an unraced juvenile full brother named Empire Way as well as
a pair of younger half-sisters, a Street Sense yearling and Smart Strike 2011
filly. Her second dam is Group 2 heroine Lyphard’s Delta (Lyphard), making Delta
Princess a half-sister to last year’s Gran Criterium (Ity-G1) victor Biondetti
(Bernardini) and a full sibling to 2003 Garden City H. (G1) vixen Indy Five
Hundred, who is herself the dam of last season’s Superlative S. (Eng-G2) second
Ecliptic (Kingmambo).

Royal Delta’s third dam is Proud Delta (Delta Judge), the 1976 champion
handicap mare and multiple Grade 1 winner. In addition to Lyphard’s Delta, Proud
Delta would also produce Grade 3 scorer Proud Debonair (Lyphard) and
listed-placed Fatal Charm (Sham). Others of note in this female family include
multiple Grade 2 hero Del Mar Show (Theatrical [Ire]) and Grade 3 winners City
Girl (Lucky Debonair) and Born Mighty (Demons Begone).