Royal Delta: A three-time champion who deserves her astronomical retail price

Racing is full of disappointing stories about horses that are purchased for a seven-figure price but are never able to repay their owner anywhere near the money they paid to sign that huge check.

Then there are horses like Royal Delta, who did not regret her owner paying a royal ransom for her, even if she did not pay a huge price for it.

The story of Royal Delta actually consists of two chapters.

The first came during her 2- and 3-year-old seasons, when she was owned by her breeder, Prince Saud bin Khaled, and trained by Bill Mott, winning the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (known as…) (then Women’s Classic) and became champion of three-year-old fillies in 2011.

But when bin Khalid died in 2011, Royal Delta participated in the November Keeneland breeding stock sale. There, Benjamin Leon of Besilu Stables bought her for an astronomical $8.5 million.

In retaining Royal Delta with Mott, Leon was rewarded with two fantastic years in which the daughter of Empire Maker raced 14 times, recorded seven wins and earned just over $3.1 million, as well as two Eclipse Awards.

Royal Delta’s career began promisingly. While Mott isn’t known for his success with first-time starters, Royal Delta was primed for an eye-opening performance in their debut. Despite being released at odds of 7:1, she overcame some traffic problems to claim an amazing 12-length victory at Belmont Park on October 30, 2010.

While that was her only start as a two-year-old, it was impressive enough to set high expectations for her three-year-old season, and Royal Delta didn’t disappoint – for the most part.

After an impressive ninth-place finish in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs early in her 2011 season, Royal Delta picked up victories in a Keeneland allowance race and the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico.

After finishing third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, Royal Delta returned four weeks later and rose to the top of the three-year-old filly class by posting a 5½-length ramp over It’s Tricky in the famous Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at the spa.

Royal Delta, testing against older bitches for the first time, was no match for 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, finishing second behind her by 8 ¼ lengths in the Grade 1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park.

But when Havre de Grace’s connections opted for the Breeders’ Cup Classic instead of the Ladies’ Classic, Royal Delta was able to start as a 2-1 favorite at the World Championships and record the first of her Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic victories.

Ridden by Jose Lezcano, Royal Delta pulled away in the final furlong to win the 2011 Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs by 2½ lengths over It’s Tricky.

After the sale, in her first start for Leon, Royal Delta finished second in the Sabin Stakes at Gulfstream Park and then made an ambitious push against the men in the 2012 Dubai World Cup, where she finished ninth.

The long and unsuccessful trip to Dubai had no lasting impact on Royal Delta, however, as she recorded victories in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs and the Delaware Handicap upon her return to the United States.

The 3-5 favorite in the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, she finished second to Love and Pride, who finished fourth in the Del’Cap, but that was her final setback of 2012.

Royal Delta won the Beldame by 9 ½ lengths and then closed the year with a 1 ½ length victory over My Miss Aurelia under jockey Mike Smith, becoming only the second horse to win consecutive Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Women’s Classic and secure an Eclipse Award as this year’s Senior Women’s Champion.

Mott followed the same script he used for Royal Delta’s 5-year-old season in 2012. This time she won the Sabin but finished 10th at the Dubai World Cup.

She won the Del’ Cap again after a second in the Fleur de Lis and avenged her defeat in the 2012 Personal Ensign by finishing 4½ lengths ahead of Authenticity as the 1-2 favorite.

The Beldame was scheduled to be her final preparation for the Breeders’ Cup, but this time as the 3-10 betting favorite she lost by two lengths to three-year-old Kentucky Oaks and Alabama winner Princess of Sylmar.

This set the stage for a rematch at Santa Anita Park in the Breeders’ Cup showcase race for fillies and mares, which once again adopted its original name, Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Royal Delta and Princess of Sylmar were the two favorites in the distaff, but it was Beholder who was best by 4 ¼ lengths over Close Hatches, trained by Mott for Juddmonte Farms.

Royal Delta was second in the early stages but couldn’t keep up in the final corner and finished fourth in the field of six as the 7-5 favorite.

The 2013 Breeders’ Cup Distaff proved to be the final race for Royal Delta, who was once again crowned champion senior dirt bitch and retired with her third Eclipse Award in tow.

She left the circuit with a record of 12 wins in 22 starts, with six of the wins coming in Grade 1 stakes, and earnings of $4,811,126. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.

Royal Delta was sent to Ireland to become a broodmare, but sadly she died in February 2017 after suffering complications during the birth of her first foal, a daughter of Galileo.

It was a tragic, heartbreaking end for such a great champion who gave Leon his all in terms of excitement and satisfaction.

“I have had many great moments in my life, but the joy and joy that Royal Delta has brought me and my family is indescribable,” he said. “It gave us the opportunity to enjoy wonderful places, people and experiences. She was a gift that gave us many exciting moments and we will forever be grateful to her.”

Note: This feature was originally published and updated in December 2018.

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Fun facts

• Royal Delta and Bayakoa (1989-90) are the only horses to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in consecutive years.
• At the time, Royal Delta’s sale price of $8.5 million was the third-highest price ever achieved at auction for a racing prospect or broodmare, trailing only Better Than Honor ($14 million) and Ashado ( 9 million US dollars).
• In her honor, Gulfstream Park renamed the Sabin Stakes the Royal Delta Stakes.