Tequilita at favorite venue for Royal Delta Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeding season dovetails with the Gulfstream Park championship meet, which partly explains why plans for Tequilita are fluid. The 5-year-old mare has fared particularly well at Gulfstream, leading trainer Michael Matz to make out her schedule in pencil, not ink.

Matz said Tequilita will run Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Royal Delta at Gulfstream and then March 16 in the Inside Information.

“After that, whether or not we go any further depends on how she does in those two races,” he said.

Tequilita is the pride and joy of Matz’s wife, Dorothy Matz, who bred and owns the daughter of Union Rags. From three starts at Gulfstream, Tequilita has a win in the Forward Gal, a second in the Gulfstream Oaks, and, most recently, a win in the Grade 3 Rampart in December. In all, the mare shows five wins, four seconds, and earnings of $666,100 from 19 starts.

“She seems to like Gulfstream so much that we’ve had these two races in mind for quite some time,” said Matz. “She’s booked to Street Sense, so, yes, she’ll be retiring soon, but we’d love to make her a Grade 1 winner if possible.”

Toward that end, the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on the May 4 Kentucky Derby card would be her swan song, “but only if she tells us we should try that,” said Matz.

Tequilita, with John Velazquez to ride, is one of about seven fillies and mares expected for the one-mile Royal Delta. She figures to vie for favoritism with Blamed, who will be looking to rebound off a subpar effort in the Hurricane Bertie on the Jan. 26 Pegasus card.

The Royal Delta is named for the three-time Eclipse Award champion who died at age 9 on Feb. 10, 2017, from foaling complications. It’s the lone graded event here this coming weekend.

The next major date at Gulfstream is March 2, when the Fountain of Youth will be one of nine stakes.