Delta Prince to Give Southern California Another Try
Image:
Description:
Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
It's been a big year for sons and daughters of the A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess.
Delta Prince, her 6-year-old son of Street Cry, will try to add another accomplishment when he ships to Southern California to run in the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) May 27 at Santa Anita Park.
On April 12, Delta Prince nailed down the first grade 1 victory of his career when he rallied from last of seven early in the Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T) on the Keeneland lawn. Ten days later, his three-time champion half sister, the late Royal Delta (by Empire Maker ), was voted into the Hall of Fame.
Delta Prince just missed securing a top-level score last year when he finished a neck behind Voodoo Song in the Aug. 11 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course. That effort followed a clear victory in the King Edward Stakes (G2T) on the turf at Woodbine for the Stronach Stables homebred.
Though Monday is scheduled to be the first start in Southern California for Delta Prince, it's not his first trip west. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens pointed Delta Prince to the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita, but the race was postponed from March 9 to March 30 to address equine safety concerns at the track.
Rather than wait for the new race date, Delta Prince was shipped back to Kentucky for the April 12 Maker's 46 Mile, where he smoothly put away six rivals.
Monday's turf race for 3-year-olds and older drew nine entries and is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, awarding a "Win and You're In" spot to the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), which will be contested on the same course this fall.
The Shoemaker field includes the top three finishers from the rescheduled Kilroe: winner Ohio, runner-up Catapult, and third-place Desert Stone. In the Kilroe, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bruce Treitman's Ohio secured his first grade 1 win at age 8, holding off Woodford Racing's Catapult by a nose. Zayat Stables' Desert Stone was just 1 3/4 lengths back in third.
Trainer John Sadler expects another nice run from Catapult, a 6-year-old son of Kitten's Joy who finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile.
"Catapult is doing great," Sadler said. "He's ready to go, and hopefully he can win the photo this time."
Making his seasonal debut in the Shoemaker will be multiple grade 2 winner Sharp Samurai, who is campaigned by Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, and trainer Mark Glatt. The 5-year-old son of First Samurai closed 2018 with a narrow victory in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) Oct. 6 at Santa Anita.
That victory marked the third grade 2 score for Sharp Samurai, who will try a grade 1 for just the second time in his career—he finished a close fourth in the 2017 Hollywood Derby (G1T) at Del Mar.
Santa Anita Park, Monday, May 27, 2019, Race 9Entries: Shoemaker Mile S. (G1T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ohio (BRZ)
Ruben Fuentes
125
Michael W. McCarthy
6/1
2
2Sharp Samurai (KY)
John R. Velazquez
123
Mark Glatt
4/1
3
3Le Ken (ARG)
Tiago Josue Pereira
121
Ronald L. McAnally
20/1
4
4River Boyne (IRE)
Flavien Prat
123
Jeff Mullins
6/1
5
5Catapult (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
121
John W. Sadler
3/1
6
6Bolo (KY)
Florent Geroux
121
Carla Gaines
20/1
7
7Desert Stone (IRE)
Geovanni Franco
121
Richard Baltas
12/1
8
8Delta Prince (KY)
Joel Rosario
125
James A. Jerkens
5/2
9
9Bowies Hero (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
121
Philip D'Amato
8/1
