Look Back at Real Delight's 1952 Ashland Victory

In conjunction with Tom Hall's Throwback Thursday features in BloodHorse Daily, BloodHorse.com each Thursday will present corresponding race stories from the pages of the magazine. 

This week is a recap of the 1952 Ashland Stakes April 12 at Keeneland won by future Racing Hall of Famer Real Delight, who would go on to win the Kentucky Oaks. Following is a BloodHorse staff report recap with the headline "Blue Delight's Daughter." 

Calumet Farm's undefeated Real Delight dashed to an easy five-length win in the second division of Keeneland's Ashland Stakes. Her time was a full second faster than Free For Me's winning race in the first division.

Foaled March 7, 1949, at Calumet Farm, Real Delight was not raced as a 2-year-old. She made her first start on Feb. 8, 1952 at Santa Anita Park and ran in one other race there before being shipped to Keeneland. She won each of her starts in California by six lengths. Her victories make her one of the top contenders for honors in this year's Kentucky Oaks.

In the second division of the Ashland, Ave was sent to the front at the start with Real Delight and In Clover forcing the pace for the first half mile. On the turn Real Delight took the lead. She pulled away in the stretch while Ave held on for second, three lengths ahead of Level Sands.

Real Delight's win in the Ashland makes her the 32nd stakes winner sired by Bull Lea. His other stakes winners of 1952 are Hill Gail, Picador, and Alerted.

Blue Delight, dam of Real Delight, foaled a chestnut colt by *Alibhai on April 28, 1951, and was bred to Bull Lea to foal this spring. Bubbley, a 2-year-old sister to Real Delight, won the first race of Keeneland's meeting with a four-length margin.