Royal Delta dominates BC Ladies Classic

Royal Delta ran a talented field into submission in Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, winning with ease. The victory over a field that included two previously undefeated rivals could move the 4-year-old Empire Maker filly into contention for Horse of the Year honors should the favorite in Saturday's $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Game On Dude, fail. With Mike Smith riding, Royal Delta went right to the lead in the Ladies' Classic. She set a brisk pace over the fast track with pressure all the way. At the top of the stretch, longshot Include Me Out ranged up on her outside and My Miss Aurelia rallied between them. It looked briefly like a battle to the wire but, when Smith asked Royal Delta for her best, she simply pulled away, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. My Miss Aurelia finished second and Include Me Out was third. Despite the quick pace, Royal Delta finished in a most respectable 1:48.80. She now has four wins and two seconds from seven starts this year. Her only bad race was in the Dubai World Cup, over an all-weather surface that proved a mystery for all the U.S. horses on World Cup night. After a season-opening second in Florida before the World Cup, Royal Delta's only other loss was a second-place finish behind Love and Pride in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga in August. Love and Pride was one of those finishing up the track Friday. My Miss Aurelia saw her six-race undefeated streak come to an end. Awesome Feather, who had won 10 races without a loss, finished sixth. Questing, a Godolphin Racing filly, never appeared comfortable on the Santa Anita strip and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. pulled her up on the backstretch. The race was rife with championship and leadership implications. Smith won his 16th Breeders' Cup race, surpassing Jerry Bailey in the No. 1 spot on that list. Bailey won 15 before his retirement. Bill Mott trains Royal Delta for Besilu Stables. Mott has a chance sweep the Classic and Ladies' Classic for the second straight year with Flat Out and Ron the Greek both live chances in Saturday's Classic.