Eres Tu Battles Mrs. Danvers in Royal Delta Stakes

Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Eres Tu seeks her fourth straight victory in the $100,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) Feb. 20 at Gulfstream Park, where she is matched against another sharp female in Mrs. Danvers

A 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon , who is undefeated since returning from an 18-month layoff and joining trainer Arnaud Delacour's stable, Eres Tu will also pursue her second straight graded-stakes win in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares that will headline Saturday's 12-race program.

"She's a very big filly. She's probably 17 hands or more. My guess is that all the time off she had helped her really mature and come to her full potential," Delacour said. "She's been great since day 1 with us. She hasn't missed a breeze. She's done everything so well, so that's exciting."

Formerly trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Eres Tu broke her maiden in her second career start in November 2018 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where she went on to finish second in the Silverbulletday Stakes, third behind Serengeti Express in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and fourth in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) before going to the sidelines.

The homebred mare returned to action with a 2 1/4-length optional claiming allowance victory last October at Keeneland in her debut for the Delacour barn. The bay then notched back-to-back scores in the Nov. 26 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes and Dec. 26 Allaire DuPont Stakes (G3), both at Laurel Park.

Video: Allaire DuPont S. (G3)

"When you look at the type of horses she ran against as a 3-year-old—there's a bunch of grade 1 winners in there—she showed that she was a quality filly," Delacour said. "The time off gave her the time to mature—that's the key with her."

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Eres Tu for the first time in the Royal Delta.

Allen Stable's Mrs. Danvers is looking to add further black-type to her resume in the Royal Delta. The  4-year-old daughter of Tapit  is coming off a dazzling wire-to-wire victory in the Comely Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct  Nov. 27. The gray has been breezing consistently at Payson Park Training Center for trainer Shug McGaughey, clocking a bullet half-mile in :48 3/5 Feb. 7.

Jose Ortiz has the return call aboard Mrs. Danvers.

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gibberish, like Eres Tu, is also seeking her fourth straight victory on Saturday. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Lea  captured consecutive allowance optional claiming events at Gulfstream Park before scoring a front-running triumph in the Treasure Chest Stakes at Delta Downs Nov. 27. Joseph also starts Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia, a longshot who finished a close third in last year's running of the Royal Delta.

Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Gibberish, while Corey Lanerie has been named to ride Queen Nekia.

Entries: Royal Delta S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 11

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1High Regard (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Victoria H. Oliver	12/1
2	2Gibberish (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	120	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	6/1
3	3Eres Tu (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Arnaud Delacour	3/1
4	4Dream Marie (KY)	Leonel Reyes	118	Matthew J. Williams	6/1
5	5Queen Nekia (FL)	Corey J. Lanerie	120	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	15/1
6	6Bajan Girl (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	Rohan Crichton	9/2
7	7Mrs. Danvers (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Claude R. McGaughey III	2/1
8	8Hallawallah (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	118	Juan Carlos Avila	12/1