Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 3, 2012

14

SPORTS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 3, 2012 

ROYAL DELTA SENSATIONAL IN LADIES’ CLASSIC AS SMITH BECOMES ALL-TIME LEADING ‘CUP 
JOCKEY, CROWD OF 34,619 MAKE DAY-ONE HUGE SUCCESS AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) _ Royal Delta led all the way in winning the 
$2 million Ladies' Classic by 1½ lengths on Friday at Santa Anita, 
making the defending champion the only favorite to win on an upset-
filled opening day of the Breeders' Cup. 

Jockey Mike Smith earned his 16th victory in the event's 29-year 
history, breaking a tie for most wins with fellow Hall of Famer Jerry 
Bailey. 

"I hope to be around a few more years to add to it," the 47-year-old 
rider said.

 

Royal Delta gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his second consecutive 
win and fifth overall in the Ladies' Classic, putting him in position 
to sweep the weekend's biggest races, a feat he accomplished 
last year. He has three runners in the $5 million Classic on Saturday, 
a race he won last year with Drosselmeyer.

 

"We're certainly not counting our chickens before they hatch," Mott 
said. "I think any one of the three has a chance." 

Royal Delta was the 8-5 favorite in the field of eight fillies and mares, 
considered one of the deepest fields among the 15 races during the 
world championships. She ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.80 and paid $5.40, 
$3.60 and $2.60. She won by 2 ½ lengths last year with Jose Lezcano 
aboard. 

This time, Royal Delta took charge early, making her way to the lead 
on a brisk pace. Turning for home, it appeared My Miss Aurelia 
and Include Me Out were going to overtake Royal Delta, but Smith 
applied a left-handed whip and she dug in gamely to hold off the 
challenge. 

"She's just brilliant, she really is," Smith said. "I was always taught 
when you're on a talented horse stay out of their way. I felt confident 
all the way around there." 

My Miss Aurelia returned $5.80 and $4, losing for the first time in 
seven career races. 

"I hate that she didn't win, but I just love this filly," trainer Steve 
Asmussen said. "She never blinks." 

Include Me Out was another 1¼ lengths back in third and paid 
$5.20 to show. 

Awesome Feather, the 2-1 second choice, came in undefeated in 10 
races but finished sixth. 

Questing was eased down the backstretch, but the on-call veterinarian 
said there was no apparent injury to the 3-year-old filly. 

Royal Delta caused Mott some worry on Monday when she arrived 
from New York with a gash on her right hip that required stitches. 
She was injured loading on a flight that left in the early morning 
hours to beat Superstorm Sandy. 

"Whew, I can tell you I feel a whole lot better right now," Mott said. 
"It's a real sigh of relief and a big joy to watch her run." 

After Royal Delta's win last year at Churchill Downs, she was sold 
for $8.5 million to Benjamin Leon. Mott didn't think he would be 
training the filly anymore and felt sad the day he had to walk her 
out of his barn. 

"It was like walking to my best friend's funeral," he said earlier this 
week. 

Mott attended the Keeneland sale and congratulated Leon after his 
purchase, not realizing that a couple weeks later Royal Delta would 
be back in his care. 

"It's such a matter of pride to have a horse of that quality," Mott said. 
"I thought she could do it again if things went well and they did." 

With two Ladies' Classic titles to her credit, Mott and Leon were 
already looking ahead to next year with Royal Delta. They plan to 
run her in the $10 million Dubai World Cup, where she finished 
ninth in March, and then have her close out her career at the Breeders' 
Cup. 

Six different jockeys, trainers and owners won each of the Breeders' 
Cup races in front of 34,619 fans on a sunny day. 

The biggest upset was Calidoscopio's 4¼-length victory in the 
$500,000 Marathon, jockey Aaron Gryder's first Breeders' Cup win. 
The 17-1 shot from Argentina paid $36.40 to win and at 9 became 
the oldest Breeders' Cup champion. 

Age also played a part in the second-biggest upset. Sent off at 15-1 
odds, Hightail kicked off the two-day world championships with a 
nose victory in the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint, giving Hall of Fame 
trainer D. Wayne Lukas his leading 19th Breeders' Cup victory at 77. 

"At my age it's significant," Lukas said. "I still have the passion for 
it and I train every day and ride every day. I'm not going to retire. 
I'm going to ride out there one morning, fall off the pony. They will 
harrow me under and if the harrow goes over me a couple of times 
that will be the end of it." 

In the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf, 11-1 shot Flotilla rallied 
to win by 1¼ lengths and paid $24.80. Trainer Mikel Delzangles 
and jockey Christophe Lemaire, both from France, won their first 
Breeders' Cup race. 

Zagora won the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf by three-quarters of a 
length at 9-1 odds. She paid $20.40 to win under Javier Castellano 
for owner Martin Schwartz, who made his fortune trading on Wall 
Street. 

Beholder led all the way to win the $2 million Juvenile Fillies, holding 
off 3-2 favorite Executiveprivilege by one length. 

"She ran her heart out. It was a big effort and being at her home 
track sure helps," trainer Richard Mandella said. "I guess Santa Anita 
still has the magic." 

It was the 13th Breeders' Cup victory for jockey Garrett Gomez and 
the seventh for Mandella, who last won at the world championships 
in 2003 when he had four victories. 

Beholder paid $9.80 to win, while trainer Bob Baffert's Executiveprivilege 
had her five-race winning streak ended after she drifted 
out in the stretch.

By Beth Harris, AP Racing Writer