Sports

Royal Delta doubles in Ladies’ Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. — In yet another of the many spectacular performances in her career, the 4-year-old champion filly Royal Delta took command at the start of yesterday’s Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and led all the way under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith to win by 1 3/4 lengths over My Miss Aurelia before a crowd of 34,619 under sunny skies at Santa Anita.

Her victory concluded a pick-6 payout of $773,865 for one winning ticket that cost $288, placed through Xpressbet.

For Smith, who won the 2008 Ladies’ Classic and 2009 Classic at Santa Anita aboard Zenyatta, it was his record 16th win in the Breeders’ Cup, breaking a tie with retired Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey.

“It’s incredible to be on this list, truly an honor,” Smith said. “I ride five [in today’s remaining nine Breeders’ Cup races], and I have some great chances.”

Royal Delta became the first back-to-back winner of the Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff) since Bayakoa in 1989-1990. The daughter of Empire Maker won last year’s race at Churchill Downs by 2 1/2 lengths, and sold at auction after that race for $8.5 million to new owner Benjamin Leon. This year, she boasted scores in the Fleur de Lis, Delaware Handicap and Beldame.

Her trainer, Bill Mott, has won the Ladies’ Classic three years in a row and five times overall in his Hall of Fame career. His nine Breeders’ Cup victories ties him with Shug McGaughey for second behind D. Wayne Lukas, who won his 19th yesterday when he sent out Hightail to take the Juvenile Sprint.

“We had a bit of a rough rip from New York when we left, trying to beat the hurricane,” said Mott, who will saddle three horses in today’s $5 million Classic. “They had to load in the middle of the night, and she got excited backing into her stall on the plane and scraped herself. That caused me worry all week.

“But I feel a whole lot better now. It’s a real sigh of relief and a big joy to watch her run.

Royal Delta, 9-for-15 in her career, never before had won a race gate-to-wire. But here she rocketed out of the gate and set a blistering pace — :22.69, :45.81, 1:09.80 over the speed-favoring track — to complete the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.80, paying $5.40 as the favorite in a field of eight. My Miss Aurelia and Include Me Out both loomed late-running challenges in the stretch until Royal Delta turned back their bids.

The loss was the first ever for My Miss Aurelia. Awesome Feather also had her undefeated streak snapped when she finished sixth.

Royal Delta had the lead to herself because the 3-year-old filly Questing, expected to set the pace, was far back in the early going and was eased down the backside by Irad Ortiz Jr. — reminiscent of the controversial incident when Life At Ten was eased in the 2010 Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs.

“She was taken off in the ambulance, but there were no obvious abnormalities,” veterinarian Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith said. “In other words she had no injury to her limbs on veterinary inspection.”

Ortiz said, “She didn’t even want to run today. She never tried.”