Royal Delta Better Than Ever After Del 'Cap

Any conjecture that 5-year-old champion mare Royal Delta may not be the horse she was in the past appeared dispelled Saturday when she won the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap by 10 ¾ widening lengths.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said the race set her up for a run in the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign Invitational at 1 1/8 miles on August 25 at Saratoga.

After winning the Grade 3 Sabin Stakes at Gulfstream in her seasonal debut, Royal Delta traveled to Dubai for her second try at the World Cup and faded to 10th after racing on the lead. She subsequently was upset June 15 in her return to the races, beaten by Funny Proposition in the Grade 2 Fleur De Lis at Churchill Downs.

Royal Delta put it all back together at Delaware Park, however, going straight to the front and leading by five lengths after a half-mile, seven after three-quarters and completing the 1 ¼-mile race in 2:02.04.

“That was a great performance by her, and it looked like she was back to her championship form,” Mott said. “She’ll go in the Personal Ensign next. That’s our plan, providing she’s doing well and is healthy.”

Asked whether he was surprised when no other riders challenged Royal Delta early, Mott said, “You never really know. If we knew that, we’d map out the race beforehand. It looked like, if all things went as it looked on paper, she might be on the lead, but who knows she’s going to open up that kind of lead? The way it appeared yesterday, nobody could get close to her.”

Mott also said 4-year-old filly Glorious View, winner of the Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap on May 18 at Belmont Park, was on course for a run July 29 in the Grade 2, $200,000 in the Honorable Miss.

“She’s at Belmont and will work Monday or Tuesday and come up right after,” Mott said of the daughter of Pleasant Tap, who has strung together four wins after taking seven attempts to break her maiden. “She was just a slow learner. She always worked well but never really put it together in the afternoon, and I guess it really clicked. She showed a fair amount of ability from the beginning. Now she has confidence. They start thinking that they can win, and it really helps them.”