Delta Prince becomes third elite winner for Delta Princess

The late A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess recorded her third elite winner when son Delta Prince took out the Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland on Friday.

Trained by James Jerkens and ridden by Javier Castellano, the six-year-old entire kicked clear in the straight to win by one and a half lengths.

The son of Street Cry was unlucky not to make his Grade 1 breakthrough sooner, having finished a neck second to Voodoo Song in last year's Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.

Owner-breeder Stronach Stables acquired Delta Princess for $2.6 million at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale, when she was offered as part of the dispersal of Prince Saud bin Khaled's Palides Investments.

The sale was topped by her Grade 1-winning Empire Maker daughter Royal Delta, who was signed for by Benjamin Leon's Besilu Stables at $8.5m. Royal Delta would later bring her tally of Grade 1 wins to five, though she sadly died while giving birth to her only foal.

That filly, since named Delta's Royalty, is now in training with Roger Varian as a two-year-old.

A Smart Strike filly foal out of Delta Princess also made $1.6m as part of the dispersal and, named Crown Queen, won in Grade 1 company at Keeneland during her three-year-old season.

Delta Princess was sold in foal to Distorted Humor and the resultant foal, named Khozan, won both his starts at Gulfstream Park before being retired to Journeyman Stud in Florida.

Delta Prince was the only other foal produced by the mare at the Stronach family's Adena Springs. The mare was euthanised in 2014 because of a degenerative stifle condition.

Despite her belligerent temper, Delta Princess won 11 races including the Grade 3 Beaugay Handicap at Aqueduct at four and two back-to-back Grade 3 contests at Churchill Downs at five.

Her own progeny have also tended to progress from three onwards with Delta Prince now in his fourth season of racing as a six-year-old.

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