Half to Royal Delta Breaks Maiden on The Belmont Park Turf

Trained by Hall of Fame horseman Bill Mott and ridden to her inaugural victory by Joel Rosario, Crown Queen sat just off of the pace before swinging wide into the stretch to launch her bid. She showed a sharp turn of foot to draw even with the front-running Sylvia T and kicked clear at the sixteenth pole. The three-year-old daughter of Smart Strike completed one mile on the turf in 1:35.51 and won by 2 1/2 lengths. Sent off as the slight second choice at 2-1, she returned $6.20, 4.20 and 3.00.

Filly appears to have grown up over an extended layoff

Crown Queen was making her first start of the year and was last seen finishing third at Belmont Park last October. In that start, she was compromised by some antics in the starting gate and also raced greenly in her debut effort, a third-place finish at Saratoga last summer. She broke cleanly this time and appears to have matured off of the eight-months away from the races.

High-priced Crown Queen has close royal bloodlines

Sold for $1.6 million as a yearling at the Keeneland November Sales, Crown Queen is a half-sister to three-time Eclipse Award champion Royal Delta. In addition to producing the two-time Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic, the A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess has also thrown graded stakes performers Carnival Court and Empire Way. Bill Mott also campaigned Royal Delta for Besilu Stables.