Jose Ortiz produced a stalking ride aboard 9-2 choice Honor D Lady to deliver the Grade III US$150 000 Royal Delta Stakes for Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr at Gulfstream Park over the weekend.
Going a mile and sixteenth for the four-year-old and upward fillies and mares, Ortiz raced Honor D Lady just off the duelling pair of Yuki and Libban, before storming to the front on the turn and dominating the stretch run to reach the wire two lengths clear in a time of one minute, 44:74 seconds.
Forty two-to-two outsider Soul of an Angel ran second while 3-1 choice Maryquitecontrary finished third, with favourite Tizzy in the Sky trailing in a disappointing fourth.
“She ran big today off the layoff and we’re very happy to have a filly like this in our barn,” Joseph said afterwards.
Rank outsider Yuki and 18-1 chance Libban hauled the field through fractions of 23.33 seconds and 46.85 for the half-mile, Ortiz racing Honor D Lady easily in third, 14-1 Opus Forty Two stalking from fourth and 12-1 chance Imrona in touch.
Ortiz drove Honor D Lady by on the outside to take the lead at the five sixteenth after a short duel with Libban, with Imonra also making her move to enter the stretch third.
Soul of an Angel closed quickly under Paco Lopez but ran out of time as Ortiz eased Honor D Lady to the wire on her four-year-old debut.
“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.”
Last year, Honor D Lady won the Grade III Remington Oaks and also captured the Honey Ryder Stakes.
The victory was one of two on the 11-race card for Joseph after Ortiz combined with favourite Novo Sol to win the $39 000 race five over a mile for the four-year-olds and upward. (CMC)
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