Royal Delta shows she's 'best mare on four feet'

ARCADIA – Mike Smith is a ladies' man.

Best known as Zenyatta's rider, the Hall of Fame jockey teamed up with Royal Delta to win back-to-back Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classics. The victory Friday at Santa Anita gave Smith his record 16th Cup victory, surpassing Jerry Bailey.

"I'm extremely blessed," Smith said. "(Riding Royal Delta) is one of the greatest opportunities of my life."

But there was a twist to his déjà vu moment; a different owner greeted him in the winner's circle.

Four days after Royal Delta's 2011 Cup victory at Churchill Downs, the filly was sold at auction for $8.5 million. New owner Benjamin Leon bought her as a birthday gift for his wife (and future foundation of his Florida breeding farm), then returned the filly to trainer Bill Mott, another Hall of Famer. Smith also got to keep riding her.

"As proud as I was before, she made me more proud (Friday)," said Leon, who plans to keep racing Royal Delta in 2013. "She proved to the world she's the best mare on four feet. … She may end up the cheapest horse I ever bought, she's brought me so much joy."

In the $2 million distaff championship, Royal Delta jumped out of the gate, seized the lead and never looked back. A daughter of Empire Maker, the 4-year-old dark bay filly withstood a late charge by My Miss Aurelia, who finished second, and Include Me Out to take the win by 11/2 lengths. She covered the 11/8 miles in 1:48.80.

"It was beautiful," Smith said. "I caught a flyer and a half out of the gate. I broke extremely well. … When you've got a mare as good as she is, the best thing you can do is get out of her way.

"She's almost as big as Zenyatta," said Smith, comparing Royal Delta to the popular 2010 Horse of the Year. "She's got that kind of stride and tremendous speed."

The win gave Mott his ninth Cup win and a chance to equal his 2011 achievement of sweeping both the Ladies' Classic and the Classic. He won the 2011 Classic with Drosselmeyer.

"It was a very emotional win for me last year to win the Ladies' Classic and very emotional to see her go to the sale," Mott said. "But I was really pleased to get her back in the barn."

On her way to the Cup, Royal Delta had an eventful trip from New York, cutting her rump on a bumpy flight. The small injury proved no problem.

Said Mott, "I had a little concern, but I feel a whole lot better right now."

With perfect racing conditions, an announced crowd of 34,619 on-track soaked up the sun and championship performances. More of the same is forecast today as the Cup concludes its $25 million series.

With Royal Delta still in the picture, Horse of the Year honors will come down to a battle of Hall of Fame trainers in the Classic. Game On Dude, trained by Bob Baffert, faces Mott's trio of Ron the Greek, Flat Out and To Honor and Serve. Jerry Hollendorfer's Nonios will try to shake up that Classic picture, opening the door for top honors from another division.

Other candidates are Wise Dan, America's best hope in the Mile, and New York star Point of Entry, a top contender in the 11/2-mile Turf.

The Cup's first day was loaded with Hall of Fame overtones.

Another Hall of Fame trainer, Richard Mandella, stole the $2 million Juvenile Fillies with front-running Beholder ($9.80), who held off Baffert's late-charging Executiveprivilege by a length. Mandella has won seven Cups, all at Santa Anita, but the last was in 2003.

"She ran her heart out," Mandella said of Beholder, "and being at her home track sure helps. I guess Santa Anita still has the magic."

Hightail ($32.80) won the first race of his life in the Juvenile Sprint and gave legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas his record 19th Cup victory and first since 2005. (Shug McGaughey and Mott are tied for second with nine.)

"At my age (77), it's really significant," said Lukas. "I don't know how many there are (left). I still have the passion for it."

Reflecting the Cup's global reach, Argentina's 9-year-old Calidoscopio ($36.40) became the oldest winner in Cup history with a last-to-first surge in the Marathon. France's Flotilla ($24.80) won the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Another French-bred now based in New York, Zagora ($20.40) took the Filly & Mare Turf.

Friday's six Cups were just the warmup. As the motto for this event says, the best is yet to come with nine more championship races today.

FRIDAY'S RESULTS

JUVENILE SPRINT

Six furlongs, purse $500,000, 2-year-olds

1 (1) Hightail $32.80 $7.20 $3.40

3 (3) Merit Man $2.40 $2.10

7 (5) Sweet Shirley Mae $2.40

$1 Pick 3: (7-5-1) 3 correct paid $297.10. $1 Consolation Pick 3: (7-5-4) 3 correct paid $17.40. $1 Superfecta: (1-3-7-6) paid $161.80. $1 Trifecta: (1-3-7) paid $60.90. Consolation Double: (5-4) paid $10.20. Daily Double: (5-1) paid $376.00. $1 Exacta: (1-3) paid $25.30. Winning time: 1:09.750. Jockey: Rajiv Maragh. Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas

MARATHON

One and 3/4 miles, purse $500,000, 3-year-olds and up

6 (6) Calidoscopio $36.40 $16.00 $9.60

4 (4) Grassy $12.40 $7.60

1 (1) Atigun $3.40

$0.5 Pick 5: (4-7-5-1-6) 5 correct paid $37,705.45. $1 Pick 3: (5-1-6) 3 correct paid $2,510.80. $1 consolation pick 3: (5-4-6) 3 correct paid $114.20. $1 Trifecta: (6-4-1) paid $1,133.80. $1 Superfecta: (6-4-1-14) paid $15,261.50. Daily Double: (1-6) paid $580.40. $1 Exacta: (6-4) paid $252.50. Winning time: 2:57.250. Jockey: Aaron Gryder. Trainer: Guillermo Frankel.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

One mile, purse $1,000,000, 2-year-olds

4 (4) Flotilla $24.80 $10.80 $7.80

6 (6) Watsdachances $6.40 $5.40

2 (2) Summer of Fun $19.40

$1 Pick 3: (1-6-4) 3 correct paid $3,495.30. Daily Double: (6-4) paid $415.60. $1 Exacta: (4-6) paid $85.50. $1 Superfecta: (4-6-2-8) paid $19,875.40. $1 Trifecta: (4-6-2) paid $1,791.50. Winning time: 1:34.640. Jockey: Christophe Lemaire. Trainer: Mikel Delzangles

JUVENILE FILLIES

One and 1/16 miles, purse $2,000,000, 2-year-olds

1 (1) Beholder $9.80 $4.60 $3.00

2 (2) Executiveprivilege $3.40 $2.40

5 (5) Dreaming of Julia $3.20

$1 Pick 3: (6-4-1) 3 correct paid $734.60. Daily Double: (4-1) paid $128.20. $1 Exacta: (1-2) paid $13.30. $1 Superfecta: (1-2-5-8) paid $118.60. $1 Trifecta: (1-2-5) paid $57.60. Winning time: 1:43.610. Jockey: Garrett Gomez. Trainer: Richard Mandella

FILLY AND MARE TURF

1 3/8 miles, purse $2,000,000, 3-year-olds and up

2 (2) Zagora $20.40 $7.80 $5.00

9 (8) Marketing Mix $6.00 $3.80

4 (4) The Fugue $2.80

$1 Pick 3: (4-1-2) 3 correct paid $580.40. Daily Double: (1-2) paid $91.80. $1 Exacta: (2-9) paid $47.90. $1 Superfecta: (2-9-4-10) paid $922.00. $1 Trifecta: (2-9-4) paid $180.40. Winning time: 1:59.700. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Trainer: Chad Brown

LADIES' CLASSIC

1 1/8 miles, purse $2,000,000, 3-year-olds and up

6 (6) Royal Delta $5.40 $3.60 $2.60

2 (2) My Miss Aurelia $5.80 $4.00

7 (7) Include Me Out $5.20

Pick 6: (1-6-4-1-2-6) 6 correct paid $773,865.20, 5 correct paid $6,378.00. $0.5 Pick 4: (4-1-2-6) 4 correct paid $885.80. $1 Pick 3: (1-2-6) 3 correct paid $151.10. $1 Trifecta: (6-2-7) paid $110.40. $1 Super High Five: (6-2-7-1-8) paid $2,952.60. Daily Double: (2-6) paid $55.00. $1 Exacta: (6-2) paid $15.20. $1 Superfecta: (6-2-7-1) paid $628.60. Winning time: 1:48.800. Jockey: Mike Smith. Trainer: William Mott.

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