While I don’t remember Wayne’s exact reply, it went something like she needs to have "the head of a princess, the butt of a washerwoman and walks like a whore.”
I’m not sure that Bill Mott would answer in the same way today, but I am convinced that he knows exactly what it is that makes Royal Delta so good. The 2011 Eclipse Award-winning Three-Year-Old Filly and champion of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic is regally bred, but the daughter of Empire Maker out of the A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess has more than her pedigree among her considerable assets.
Exactly what she’s got makes Mott, a Hall of Famer and multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer, believe that she can become the first filly to win the $10 Million Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday. Only six females have ever even tried.
Of course, the rest of the racing world ridicules us Americans for making gender distinctions about racehorses and the girls certainly have beaten the guys in some pretty big races of late.
Zenyatta won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Rachel Alexandra took the Preakness and the Woodward, Rags to Riches became the first filly in 102 years and only the third to win the Belmont, Havre de Grace won the Woodward, Goldikova won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in three consecutive years after Miesque did it twice, and of course Winning Colors is only the third filly to ever win the Kentucky Derby.
Those are triumphs indeed. But if Royal Delta, who has earned almost $1.7 million in purses so far, can beat a truly world class bunch of boys in the world’s richest race on a stage of this magnitude, she would not only be in that class, she would go to the head of it.
Royal Delta and Mott, who won the inaugural World Cup with eventual Horse of the Year Cigar, would take over an esteemed place in Thoroughbred racing lore.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Mott said with a laugh to Michele MacDonald after they watched Royal Delta look fabulous in a 1 3/8 mile gallop on Tuesday morning. In fact she looked so good that Michele reported that when the filly schooled at the gate, the crew admired her size and strength.
Everyone notices that the big bay filly with the star on her forehead is drop dead gorgeous. Still, this isn’t a beauty contest, not with tough guys like Game on Dude and So You Think in the field.
“She’s got many things going for her. The one thing we don’t know is whether she is good enough,” Mott explained to MacDonald. “But the distance doesn’t seem to be a factor; she’s won at a mile and a quarter. She’s won a race on a synthetic track. She’s won under the lights and she doesn’t need any medication to speak of. She’s jumped through a lot of the hoops that you have to clear to win here.”
The story of how and why Royal Delta is even with Mott, let alone in Dubai, this year has been often told.
To recap briefly, after owner Saudi Prince Saud bin Kaled passed away last year, she had to be put into the Keeneland November sale following her Breeders’ Cup win as part of the estate’s dispersal. Benjamin Leon, who races under Besilu Stables, put in the winning bid of $8.5 million and sent her back to Mott’s barn.
But Mott has said that he had this race in mind even before he knew she would be his to train again. That’s how much faith he has in her abilities.
Whether she can reward that faith on Saturday night in Meydan remains to be seen. Keep in mind, as David Grening pointed out in the Daily Racing Form, that Royal Delta has a tendency to turn in a really big effort after a just-okay one and she was beaten by eight lengths by Awesome Maria in her seasonal debut in a grade 3 at Gulfstream.
If form holds, it would be rather nice for Mott to have a pair of the golden whips given to the winners. He could use them as bookends in his trophy case.
“It’s a great challenge to try to be the first filly to win it,” he said. “We had the first colt, now we need the first filly.”
I will be watching on Saturday, after wishing and hoping Royal Delta gets a break when the post positions are drawn on Wednesday, and rooting for her to win the Dubai World Cup. Am I guilty of gender bias? You’re damn straight.
28 Mar 2012 at 07:11 am | #
I am a sexist myself, although not a member of the he-man mare hater’s club. Isn’t it wonderful watching these great female athletes? Walk like a whore? If he said it, it is worth putting in print. Love all of God’s creatures, even bohemian women (as long as they don’t have the butt of a washerwoman) and horses. In days past, had a bias against female riders; then came Rosie. What a woman. To play this game, you have to be in touch with your feminine side, and still walk like a man. May the best animal win, shaven or unshaven.
TTT
28 Mar 2012 at 07:15 am | #
TTT,
I was there, notebook in hand, when he said it. I’ve used the quote often. At the time, so did Mr. Lukas.
28 Mar 2012 at 07:34 am | #
May the best horse win indeed, and may all have a clean and safe trip.
28 Mar 2012 at 07:40 am | #
Lynne, thanks for the stroll back to memory lane. Winning Colors trained by Da Coach. Team Lukas(Jeff, Todd, Kiaran, Chad), how could they ever lose? and they seldom did. But in arguably, the greatest race ever run, the 89 BC Distaff, Personal Ensign capped off HER UNDEFEATED career beating Colors at the wire. PE a pretty good gal too BTW, beat the boys also in a race you might have heard, the Whitney.
This looks like a stretch for Royal Delta who I am a big fan of, but I learned long ago to never doubt Mr. Mott. Go get em pretty lady!
WOW! And they say the game is dying? Besilu Stables invested 8.5 million for RD? They must think the sport has a future?
28 Mar 2012 at 07:47 am | #
How could I ever neglect to mention Personal Ensign? She remains one of my all-time favorites and I shed some tears when she passed away in 2010. Her Breeders’ Cup race, when she came from so far back to beat Winning Colors, still gives me chills. She was all heart, guts, glory and talent. Thanks for your comment; much appreciated.
28 Mar 2012 at 08:53 am | #
Personal Ensign give you the chills? I witnessed that race at Churchill.If you remember it was a cold windy and lousy day...in fact it snowed the next day....the coffee had ice in it...when she started that run down the home stretch the crowd temperature started to heat up.Everybody was riding that filly...Our group of friends looked at each other and could only manage to say WOW....chills,goosebumps,I had it all after that race was over..you want to promote racing to the younger crowd,use this race and I could name several others to show to them what this game is about
28 Mar 2012 at 09:38 am | #
I’ve beaten to death my belief on this site regarding stealing obvious (to me) female winners of the Derby away to run in the Oaks. Don’t think I could stand another Silverbulletday or Rachel Alexandra scenario. Let’s reduce the purse of the Oaks enough so that it never happens again.
TTT
28 Mar 2012 at 10:11 am | #
TTT, I agree with you, but because of Eight Belles and crowded 20 horse field of the Derby, connections will be overly protective.
Lynne, how about a shout out to Genuine Risk too!
28 Mar 2012 at 01:43 pm | #
Of course- “Ginny” deserves it, as does Regret, the only other Derby winning filly. And props as well to Tanya and Ruthless, the only other two Bemont winning girls. As for the Derby and the 20-horse field, it’s too big even for all boys. The Oaks purse won’t be reduced because then it can’t be marketed as it is now as a second “Big Day” in the weekend and it would take the luster off the Oaks-Derby double wager.