Eskenformoney, Curlin's Approval rematched in Royal Delta

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When last they met at Gulfstream Park, Eskenformoney was pulling a mild upset over favored Curlin’s Approval in the Grade 3 Rampart on Dec. 17.

Nine weeks later, they will meet again Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Royal Delta at 1 1/16 miles. Curlin’s Approval once again will be favored – she was 1-2 in the Rampart when finishing three-quarters of a length behind Eskenformoney, a 5-1 shot – but there’s likely to be more support for Eskenformoney this time around.

“We’ve been pointing to this race ever since the last one,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Eskenformoney for StarLadies Racing.

Six fillies and mares were eentered for the Royal Delta on Wednesday afternoon, with Caboclo do Rio, Verve’s Tale, and Mo Green among the other starters.

After the one-mile Rampart, Curlin’s Approval turned back to seven furlongs to win the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie on the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup undercard, again as the favorite. Pletcher had Genre as the second choice in that race and kept Eskenformoney in her stall.

“We didn’t want to turn [Eskenformoney] back, and the timing [of the Royal Delta] really suited us,” Pletcher said.

Eskenformoney, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred, figures sharp off the layoff, which should help her chances if the pace is too soft, as often happens in a short field.

“Our horse is pretty tactical,” Pletcher said. “She won’t let anybody get too far away.”

The Royal Delta is named for the three-time champion mare who died earlier this month from foaling complications at age 9. It’s the lone graded stakes scheduled during a six-day race week that runs through the Presidents Day holiday on Monday. The next big stakes day here is March 4, with the Fountain of Youth serving as the main event.