Honor D Lady takes Royal Delta with ease

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Honor D Lady, who has improved leaps and bounds since switching to the main track for her final two starts at 3, kicked off her 4-year-old campaign in high style, taking Saturday's $150,000 Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park. She finished two lengths ahead of 40-1 longshot Soul of an Angel to become a Grade 3 winner for the second time in her career.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. put Honor D Lady back on dirt early last fall following a subpar performance over a yielding course in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational. She responded to the surface change by winning the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks and finishing third in the Grade 3 Comely two months later at Aqueduct, after which Joseph gave the filly a bit of a break, while pointing toward the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta for her 2024 debut.

With Jose Ortiz aboard for the first time, Honor D Lady was hustled along from the outset to set up shop in easy striking position just off the early leaders. She readily overtook stablemate Libban midway on the second turn, settled into the stretch with a comfortable advantage, and was never seriously threatened thereafter.

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Tampa Bay Downs invader Soul of an Angel advanced to closer contention while saving ground into the stretch and was no match for the winner, but was easily second-best over local favorite Maryquitecontrary, who rallied belatedly to be third. Tizzy in the Sky dropped back near the rear of the field around the opening bend and was never a factor, finishing fourth as the 6-5 favorite.

Honor D Lady was one of four horses Joseph sent postward for the Royal Delta, only to have Rosie’s Halo scratch after unseating her rider Javier Castellano just before the field loaded in the gate. His other two entrants, Libban and Imonra, weakened through the stretch to finish fifth and seventh respectively.

Honor D Lady, a daughter of Honor Code owned in partnership by Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stable, completed the distance over a fast track in 1:44.74 seconds and paid $11.40.

“She got a great trip,” said Joseph. “Last time we lost a lot of ground and I don’t think we used her enough to get position. Today I told Jose one thing - position. I told him once he got position out of the gate to ride his race. And he did just that.”

Joseph said he always wanted to try Honor D Lady back on dirt but she was running too well on the turf to make a change until her poor effort at Saratoga.

“We needed to give her a break after her last start in New York,” Joseph explained. “It was a long year. She finished the year good, we hoped she might move forward off the break, and she did.”

Joseph said if all goes well the April 13 Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park could be the next major goal for Honor D Lady.

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