Gulfstream: Honor D Lady Wins Royal Delta (G3) – Rainbow 6 Estimated at $400,000

By David Joseph —-

Lauren King Photo

GULFSTREAM TODAY

2.17.24

Honor D Lady Wins Royal Delta (G3)

Rainbow 6 Estimated at $400,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stable’s Honor D Lady made her 4-year-old debut a memorable one Saturday by running away from nine others down the stretch to win the $150,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Honor D Lady covered the 1 1/16 mile in 1:44.74. Soul of an Angel was second and Maryquitecontrary rallied for the show. Honor D Lady returned $11.40.

Honor D Lady ended her 3-year-old season with a third-place finish in the Comely (G3) at Aqueduct in November after winning the Remington Park Oaks (G3) in September. Earlier in the year she won the Honey Ryder at Gulfstream.

Honor D Lady was settled off a :23.33 and :46.85 pace set by longshot Yuki before making her move around the final turn outside another Joseph runner in Libban. She entered the stretch with a clear advantage and the victory was never in doubt. It was the third win of the afternoon for Ortiz.

“I watched the replay of when she won at Remington and Saffie told me how he wanted her to be ridden, so I followed instructions,” Ortiz said. “We wanted to go forward and if I could work my way to the clear, do that. I did that, and it worked out great.”

“She ran big today off the layoff and we’re very happy to have a filly like this in our barn,” Joseph said. “

Honor D Lady has now won on turf, dirt and Tapeta. Joseph said the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn April 13 might be the filly’s next start.

Maryquitecontrary had won seven of 13 starts, seven for 10 at Gulfstream, and was coming into the Royal Delta off a third-place finish in the Inside Information (G2). But she had never raced around two turns. The filly rallied for the show.

Tizzy in the Sky finished fourth. She was making her 5-year-old debut for trainer Todd Pletcher and was making her first start since finishing second Dec. 2 in the Go For Wand (G3) at Aqueduct over a muddy track. She had won the Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream in May.

The Royal Delta is named in honor of Besilu Stable’s Hall of Fame mare who earned $4.8 million while racing between 2010 and 2013. Trained by Bill Mott, Royal Delta was a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1) as well as the Beldame Invitational (G1), Alabama Stakes (G1) and Black-Eyed Susan (G2). The daughter of Empire Maker won the Sabin Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream in 2012 and 2013.

Rosie’s Halo was a late scratch.

Rainbow 6 Estimated at $400,000

Sunday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6, estimated at $400,000, begins with Race 5, a maiden optional claimer for 4-year-olds and up at five furlongs scheduled for the turf. Insanity It Seems won his lone start for trainer Wesley Ward at this distance at Monmouth in July of 2022 but was disqualified from purse money. John Velazquez is named to ride the son of Tale of the Cat.

A field of eight 3-year-old maiden fillies are entered to go to post in Race 7, a maiden special weight event at a mile on the main track. The field includes first-time starters Spirited, a $450,000 daughter of Arrogate from the barn of Bill Mott, Restless Dreamer, a daughter of Street Sense trained by Chad Brown, and Encourageachother, a $450,000 daughter of Street Sense trained by Todd Pletcher.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.