Sunday, February 18, 2024
Honor D Lady, a stakes winner on both dirt and turf last year, started her 4-year-old season on a high note with a two-length win in the $150,000 Royal Delta S. (G3) Saturday afternoon on Gulfstream Park’s main track.
The Eddie Woods training grad has put together a solid career mark of 4-2-3 from 10 lifetime starts, with victories in last year’s Remington Park Oaks (G3) and Gulfstream’s Honey Ryder S. for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and owners Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables LLC.
Honor D Lady, in post 6 in the field of 10, hustled out of the gate to sit just behind the top pair around the first bend. She bided her time until picking up the pace entering the final bend. She easily took command from Libban with three furlongs to go, then was never threatened the rest of the way, winning comfortably in 1:44.74 for the 1 1/16-miles on a fast track.
“I watched the replay of when she won at Remington and Saffie told be how he wanted her to be ridden, so I followed instructions,” said winning rider Jose Ortiz, Jr. “We wanted to go forward and if could work my way to the clear, do that. I did that and it worked out great.”
The winner was bred by William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo and is a half-sister to stakes winner Churchtown.