Royal Delta Heads Mott's BC Works at Belmont
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Led by champion Royal Delta and Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) contender Ron the Greek, horses conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott got in their Belmont Park works Oct. 19 in advance of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park.
Royal Delta, a two-time defending winner of the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) who comes off a runner-up finish to Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Princess of Sylmar in the Sept. 28 Beldame Invitational Stakes (gr. I), went five furlongs on the main track at Belmont in a sharp :59.69. It was the best of 18 moves at the distance on the day.
The 5-year-old daughter of Empire Maker will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith for Besilu Stables Nov. 1 in her bid to make history at this year's Breeders' Cup. No horse has won three editions of the Ladies Classic (renamed the Distaff this year) and Royal Delta and Bayakoa are the only two to have taken it twice.
Ron the Greek, winner of the Sept. 28 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (gr. I) by 6 3/4 lengths at odds of 21-1, went four furlongs on the Belmont main track in :48.66. The 6-year-old Full Mandate runner will make his second Breeders' Cup Classic start Nov. 2 for Brous Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, and breeder Jack Hammer. He was fourth in the Classic last year.
Mott also had Flat Out for the Classic. Preston Stable's 7-year-old Flatter runner was third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last time out and turned in his latest breeze Oct. 17 when he went five furlongs in 1:01.38. He also ran in last year's Classic, finishing third behind Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man, and was fifth in the Classic of 2011 at Churchill Downs.
Also among Mott's Oct. 19 workers were two fillies owned by Juddmonte—Distaff contender Close Hatches and Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) contender Emollient.
Close Hatches, a 3-year-old daughter of First Defence who has back-to-back wins in the Sept. 21 Cotillion Stakes (gr. I) and June 22 Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) , breezed five furlongs on the main track in :59.96.
Emollient, a three-time grade I winner who recently took the Oct. 6 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland, went four furlongs on the main in :48.25. A 3-year-old by Empire Maker, she defeated elders in her first attempt last out and also owns victories in the American Oaks (gr. IT) and the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I).