Delta Prince gets first Grade 1 in Maker's 46 Mile
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Under a perfectly timed ride from Javier Castellano, Delta Prince notched the first Grade 1 of his career when rallying for a 1 1/2-length triumph Friday in the 31st running of the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile over the Keeneland turf.
Far back in the early stages, Delta Prince roared into contention once the field turned for home before outkicking the other closers, finishing in 1:35.97 over a course rated good. He paid $5.40 as favorite in a field of seven older horses.
“I was pretty nervous down the backside, but I knew the stretch is pretty long,” said Jimmy Jerkens, who trains Delta Prince for owner-breeder Stronach Stables. “I felt like if he kicked out and got going right away, he’d have a chance. And he did.”
“I saw where the [front-runners] went pretty quick,” said Castellano, who now has won five of the 11 stakes run so far at the Keeneland spring meet. “I liked the way he finished. He finished really well.”
Clyde’s Image, at 46-1 the longest price in the field, persevered to be second, a neck before Qurbaan in a four-way photo. Raging Bull, the 9-5 second choice, was another head back in fourth, with Doctor Mounty another neck back in fifth.
The Grade 1 victory brings Delta Prince into the same sort of elite company in which his champion half-sister, Royal Delta, has belonged since her 3-year-old season of 2011. Both were produced by the A.P. Indy mare, Delta Princess. Royal Delta, by Empire Maker, is a 2019 Hall of Fame nominee. Delta Prince, a 6-year-old horse by Street Cry, now has been third or better in all but one of his 13 starts, with this fifth victory lifting his bankroll to $1,173,819. His lone prior stakes score came in the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine last June.
Delta Prince, third in the $6.7 million Pegasus World Turf Cup in his only prior start this year, was flown from his Florida winter base to California in early March for the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile, but the race was postponed amid the well-publicized problems at Santa Anita.
“That was pretty hectic and hard to swallow,” said Jerkens. “At least he handled all the shipping very well. He’s grown up and matured and really turned into a nice horse.”
The win was the second in the Maker’s for the New York-based Jerkens, following Artie Schiller in 2005. It was a record fourth in the race for Castellano, after Get Stormy (2011), Jack Milton (2015), and American Patriot (2017).
Before a crowd of 14,675 on a cloudy and brisk afternoon, Heart to Heart and Great Wide Open contested fractions of 24.25 and 47.79 seconds when speeding clear of the others, but the pack began closing in as they passed the quarter pole in 1:11.98. Qurbaan, always in good position, was the first to pounce, but he was unable to contain the brilliant surge by Delta Prince in the final 100 yards. The two front-runners rounded out the final order.
The $2 exacta (4-7) paid $179.80, the $1 trifecta (4-7-5) returned $337.50, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-7-5-1) was worth $65.12.
Ginger Nut ($9.80) wins Limestone
Earlier Friday, Ginger Nut closed with a flourish to collar a couple of Wesley Ward trainees in winning the inaugural running of the $100,000 Limestone Turf Sprint for 2-year-old fillies.
Trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, Ginger Nut finished the 5 1/2-furlong distance in 1:03.53. Stillwater Cove, who had powered to the lead in midstretch, finished 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner and another 3 1/2 lengths before her Ward stablemate, Chelsea Cloisters.
Ginger Nut, an Irish-bred daughter of Sir Prancealot, was making her second start in North America after finishing fourth in a February race at Gulfstream Park. Away behind the others from post 1, she settled quickly into stride for Rosario before swinging wide for the drive and picking off rivals in quick order.
“I wanted to take my time to let her come with a late run,” said Rosario.
► Tyler Servis, the 28-year-old son of noted trainer John Servis, enjoyed a successful launch to his solo training career when Wentz ($9.80), ridden by Rosario, fought off odds-on Curate to win the sixth race Friday, a $82,765 allowance.
The younger Servis hopes to expand his stable when moving his primary base in a few weeks to Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
