Blamed leads throughout in Royal Delta

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Bill Mott was not in attendance Saturday at Gulfstream Park for the Grade 3 Royal Delta Stakes for fillies and mares. But he had to be smiling with satisfaction from wherever he watched as his speedy Blamed won the race honoring the horse Mott trained to win three Eclipse Awards and who earlier this week was named a finalist for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Blamed led throughout under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard the 4-year-old daughter Blame for the first time in the one-mile Royal Delta. The victory came just three weeks after Blamed turned in the most disappointing performance of her career when tiring to finish a well-beaten fifth over a sloppy track in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie.

Jala Jala, the Mexican-bred mare who beat the boys to capture the Clasico del Caribe here in 2017 and then returned to win the Confraternity Cup earlier in the meet, rallied outside horses to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner. Tequilita, who splashed over a sloppy track to win the Grade 3 Rampart here in her 2018 finale, finished another neck farther back in third.

Blamed is owned by Cleber Massey. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:35.18 and paid $3.80.

“We looked at her last race and figured it was the sloppy track, but obviously it was nice to see her come back and prove us right,” said Mott’s long-time assistant Ken McCarthy. “It’s not Bill’s usual M-O with her to come back in three weeks, but he felt like he just wanted to let her prove herself again. She’s a good filly, no doubt about it.”

McCarthy, who was with Mott during Royal Delta’s championship seasons, commented on what it was like to win the race named in her honor with a filly from their own barn.

“It’s one of those things, in this business, that’s very unique,” McCarthy said. “She was a terrific filly and just to have one in the race is special. To win it and be able to present ourselves the trophy is even nicer.”