The Royal Delta Stakes is a Grade III American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

held annually in February at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States. It is among the most important venues for ...

Hallandale Beach, Florida Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. It is al ...

. A race for

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, th ...

and

mares A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

aged four and older, it is run over a distance of miles on dirt. The event currently carries a purse of $150,000.

History

The inaugural running of the race took place on 17 February 1991 as the Sabin Breeders' Cup Handicap over a distance of miles and was won by Fit for a Queen who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey

Jerry Bailey Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957) is a retired American Hall of Fame jockey and current NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest jockeys of all time. Early years Bailey was born in Dallas, Texas bu ...

and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey in a time of 1:42.50. The event was named in honor for Henryk de Kwiatkowski's multiple Grade I stakes-winning filly Sabin and winner of the 1984

Orchid Handicap The Orchid Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years or older held over a distance of one and one-half miles on the turf usually scheduled annually in late March as an under card event on F ...

at this track where this event is held. Born in 1980, she won 18 of her 25 starts. The event was classified as Grade III in 1994. In 2009 the conditions of the event were changed to stakes allowances and the race was run as the Sabin Stakes. Royal Delta, winner of

Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, three years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United Sta ...

in 2011 and 2012 won this race in 2013 easily by 5 lengths as the 2/5on favorite. In 2015, Gulfstream Park renamed the race after the three-time

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division. The trophy is made by a few small selected A ...

winner to the Royal Delta Stakes. This race was upgraded to a Grade II event for its 2014 running but returned to Grade III status in 2018. The event has had numerous distance changes which can be viewed in the winner's table in the Winners section of this article.

Records

Speed record: * miles – 1:41:00 Devil's Cave (2014) * 1 mile – 1:35.18 Blamed (2019) * 1 mile & 70 yards – 1:39.57 Hunzinga (1994) * miles – 1:50.49 Taittinger Rose (2006) Margins: * 8 lengths – Awesome Maria (2012) Most wins: * 2 – Awesome Maria (2011, 2012) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 4 –

John Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey ...

(2004, 2005, 2011, 2012) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 –

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967, in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award eight times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming ( ...

(2005, 2011, 2012, 2023) * 4 – Saffie Joseph Jr. (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – H. Joseph Allen (1997, 2004) * 2 – Hobeau Farm (1998, 2007) * 2 – Richard, Bertram & Elaine Klein (2001, 2003) * 2 – E. Paul Robsham Stables (2011, 2012)

Winners

References

{{reflist, 2 Horse races in Florida Graded stakes races in the United States Horse races established in 1991 1991 establishments in Florida Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Gulfstream Park

History

Records

Winners

See also

References