Claret Beret shows regained form with solid victory in Royal Delta
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Claret Beret lost her form last summer but has certainly found it again this winter at Gulfstream Park. She peaked with a career-best performance on Saturday, a convincing five-length victory over Alpine Princess and a strong field of seven fillies and mares as she stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in nearly a year in the Grade 3, $175,000 Royal Delta Stakes.
Claret Beret was purchased privately by Miller Racing and turned over to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. last spring. She showed big improvement immediately, winning an overnight handicap here by nearly 20 lengths in her first start for her new connections before shipping to Churchill Downs to finish a sharp second behind Vahva in the Grade 2 Chicago Stakes.
But after dull efforts last summer in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga and back locally in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney four weeks later, Joseph gave Claret Beret a three-month hiatus. She returned to finish third in both the Rampart and Grade 2 Inside Information as steppingstones to her huge performance in the Royal Delta.
With regular rider Micah Husbands aboard, Claret Beret rated in mid-pack, about five lengths off the early pace set, surprisingly, by her stablemate Eunomia. Claret Beret began to advance leaving the backstretch, readily overtook the leader after angling very wide turning for home, before steadily extending her advantage while kept out in the better footing near the middle of the racetrack through the final furlong.
Alpine Princess, winner of the Grade 3 Fall City at Churchill Downs in her 2025 finale, prompted the pace from the outset, then gradually wore down the tiring Eunomia by a neck to be second-best while never threatening the winner down the lane.
The complexion of the Royal Delta changed almost immediately after the start when Shred the Gnar, wire-to-wire winner of the Grade 3 Chilukki Stakes in her most recent outing, did not break sharply and had to race in unfamiliar territory off the early lead. Shred the Gnar ultimately threw in the towel after six furlongs to finish a disappointing and well-beaten sixth as the 6-5 favorite.
Claret Beret, a 5-year-old daughter of Not This Time gave Husbands his third win on the card after completing the distance over a fast track in 1:44.86 seconds. She paid $18.60.
“We’d never run her a mile and one sixteenth since we had her, but we always thought of trying it and she’s obviously very good around two turns,” Joseph said. “This was very impressive. It was a really good bunch in the Royal Delta, probably one of the best Royal Deltas I’ve seen for a while. That’s why it was shocking the way she beat these kind of horses. It was very, very convincing.”
Joseph said Claret Beret has definitely “turned the corner” after losing her way for a while last summer.
“She lost her form at Saratoga and just went through a phase and we gave her a little time,” Joseph said. “But she’s gradually gotten better and better. Going into the Inside Information, I thought she could win, she ran well, and today she proved she’s back in top form again. On paper this race had so much speed, I didn’t expect my other filly (Eunomia) to be on the lead, but it worked out well.”
Joseph said Claret Beret’s victory opened up a lot of options for her moving forward.
“We’re going to stay two turns,” Joseph said. “You could probably consider a race like the Apple Blossom (Grade 1, Oaklawn Park) off this performance. I think it’s definitely worth a shot.”
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