Curlin’s Approval Back in Intriguing Royal Delta

There will be no shortage of accomplished rivals awaiting Curlin's Approval when she tries to defend her 2017 victory in a revamped Royal Delta Stakes (G3) Feb. 19 at Gulfstream Park.

Last year Curlin's Approval drew off to a six-length victory in the Royal Delta, which was then contested at 1 1/16 miles and carried grade 2 status. This year the race, which has attracted eight fillies and mares, has been shortened to a one-turn mile.

Curlin's Approval certainly is capable at one turn, having won the seven-furlong Added Elegance Stakes in 2016 at Gulfstream and last year's seven-furlong Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) there. The daughter of Curlin  also has raced well at the one-turn mile, although she's had to settle for second in her two most recent races at that distance, the past two editions of the Rampart Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream.

Curlin's Approval, who has finished first or second in 10 of her 16 starts (seven wins), enters off a pair of runner-up finishes in the 2017 Rampart—won by Royal Delta entry Lewis Bay—and this year's Hurricane Bertie. Breeder-owner-trainer Happy Alter believes Curlin's Approval was not quite her best in those two tests.

"There's more to her than in that last race, but we'll have to wait and see," said Alter, whose multiple graded stakes winner breezed five-furlongs in :35.91 Feb. 15. "I'm optimistic about her chances."

Alpha Delta Stables homebred Lewis Bay will make her 5-year-old season debut in the Royal Delta, which will mark her first start since the Rampart. The daughter of Bernardini  will try for a graded stakes win for a fourth consecutive season.Trained by Chad Brown, Lewis Bay certainly could improve on her Rampart effort, which was her only race of 2017, ending a nearly 13-month layoff.

Unbridled Mo will make her 5-year-old debut after she won both her 2017 starts—the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park and the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Campaigned by John Brunetti's Red Oak Stable, trainer Todd Pletcher said the daughter of Uncle Mo  needed some rest after the Doubledogdare.

"After she made a couple of road trips, she came back and seemed tired. She lost some weight," Pletcher said. "After talking to the Brunettis, they wanted to keep her in training this year, so we gave her some time and hopefully we'll have a good year with her."

Another accomplished mare entered Monday is Giulia, a Kentucky-bred who will make her United States racing debut after three stakes wins in Uruguay, including the 2016 Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo (G1). She earned champion older mare honors there in 2015. Michael Matz picks up the training duties for the 6-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa .

Entries: Royal Delta S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Monday, February 19, 2018, Race 11

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Verve's Tale (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Barclay Tagg	6/1
2	2Lewis Bay (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Chad C. Brown	5/2
3	3Giulia (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	119	Michael R. Matz	20/1
4	4Martini Glass (KY)	Paco Lopez	121	Keith Nations	6/1
5	5Tapa Tapa Tapa (KY)	Pablo Morales	119	Timothy E. Hamm	8/1
6	6Surprise Wedding (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	David Fawkes	15/1
7	7Unbridled Mo (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
8	8Curlin's Approval (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	121	Happy Alter	3/1