LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The opening card of the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships produced the usual mix of winning favorites and wild longshots before a crowd of 40,677 yesterday at Churchill Downs.
The evening culminated with a powerful performance by Royal Delta, who charged from off the pace under Jose Lezcano to win the Ladies’ Classic by 2 1/2 lengths over It’s Tricky. Highly touted all week off her eye-popping workout last Sunday, the daughter of Empire Maker went off the slight 2-1 favorite over Plum Pretty, who shook loose on the early lead and looked like a winner before fading late.
“I was a little worried at the eighth pole, but then she kicked in,” said Royal Delta’s Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott, who has won this race four times. “She’s very special.”
Royal Delta ran the 1 ¹/ miles in 1:50.78 to pay $6.40. Coupled with her victories in the Black-Eyed Susan and Alabama, the Ladies’ Classic score makes her the 3-year-old filly champion.
Here is a recap of three of the day’s five other Breeders’ Cup races:
FILLY & MARE TURF: The Canadian-based 4-year-old Perfect Shirl, 0-for-6 this year, pulled off a 27-1 shocker over some of the top grass mares from Europe and the U.S., surging to the lead in the final yards to win by three-quarters of a length over Euro-invaders Nahrain and Misty For Me.
Trained by Roger Attfield, the Perfect Soul filly ran the 1 ³/ miles in 2:18.62 over a “good” course to pay $57.60, giving jockey John Velazquez his second win on the day.
Stacelita, favored at 9-5, finished 10th after being stuck in traffic down the stretch. The French filly Announce was scratched after acting up and suffering a slight laceration on the way to the gate.
JUVENILE FILLIES: In a dominant performance that clinched the 2-year-old filly championship, 2-1 favorite My Miss Aurelia tracked the early pace set by Candrea, took command turning for home and drew clear down the lane to win by three lengths over Grace Hall, running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 to pay $6.20.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Corey Nakatani, the daughter of Smart Strike is unbeaten in four starts, including the Adirondack and Frizette.
FILLY & MARE SPRINT: Musical Romance, dismissed at 20-1, pressed the early pace (:22.40, :45.71) set by Golden Mystery, dropped back at the top of the stretch when she was passed by Turbulent Descent and Pomeroys Pistol, then came on again up the rail to win by 1 ¹/ lengths over the late-running Switch.
Turbulent Descent, the 7-5 favorite, was taken up in traffic down the backside, rallied wide on the turn to make the lead in mid-stretch, but faded to fifth.
