Royal Delta Stakes

The Royal Delta Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A race for fillies and mares aged four and older, it is run over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on dirt. The event currently carries a purse of $150,000.

Royal Delta Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States
Inaugurated	1991 (as Sabin Breeders' Cup Handicap)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	www.gulfstreampark.com
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Four-year-olds and older Fillies and mares
Weight	123 lbs with allowances
Purse	$150,000 (since 2022)

History

The inaugural running of the race took place on 17 February 1991 as the Sabin Breeders' Cup Handicap over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles and was won by Fit for a Queen who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey in a time of 1:42.50.^[1]

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 at this track where this event is held. Born in 1980, she won 18 of her 25 starts.^[2]

The event was classified as Grade III in 1994.^[3] In 2009 the conditions of the event were changed to stakes allowances and the race was run as the Sabin Stakes.^[3]

Royal Delta, winner of Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in 2011 and 2012 won this race in 2013 easily by 5 lengths as the 2/5on favorite.^[4] In 2015, Gulfstream Park renamed the race after the three-time Eclipse Award winner to the Royal Delta Stakes.^[5]

This race was upgraded to a Grade II event for its 2014 running^[3] but returned to Grade III status in 2018.^[6]

The event has had numerous distance changes which can be viewed in the winner's table in the Winners section of this article.^[3]

Records

Speed record:

• 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:41:00 Devil's Cave (2014)
• 1 mile – 1:35.18 Blamed (2019)
• 1 mile & 70 yards – 1:39.57 Hunzinga (1994)
• 1+1⁄8 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:

• 4 – John Velazquez (2004, 2005, 2011, 2012)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 – Todd Pletcher (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

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
Royal Delta Stakes
2025	Dazzling Move	4	Dylan Davis	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Miller Racing	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.08	$150,000	III	[7]
2024	Honor D Lady	4	Jose L. Ortiz	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Final Furlong Farm & Madaket Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.74	$154,000	III	[8]
2023	Classy Edition	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd A. Pletcher	Robert E. & Lawana L. Low	1+1⁄16 miles	1:45.15	$150,000	III	[9]
2022	Letruska	6	Jose L. Ortiz	Fausto Gutierrez	St George Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.43	$150,000	III	[10]
2021	Queen Nekia	6	Corey Lanerie	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Ken Copenhaver	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.62	$100,000	III	[11]
2020	Cookie Dough	4	Paco Lopez	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Arindel	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.57	$150,000	III	[12]
2019	Blamed	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	William I. Mott	Cleber J. Massey	1 mile	1:35.18	$150,000	III	[13]
2018	Martini Glass	5	Paco Lopez	Keith Nations	Vince Campanella & Nation's Racing Stable	1 mile	1:36.48	$200,000	III	[14]
2017	Curlin's Approval	4	Luis Saez	Martin D. Wolfson	Alter's Racing Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.90	$200,000	II	[15]
2016	Penwith	5	Luis Saez	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Godolphin Racing	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.16	$200,000	II	[16]
2015	Sheer Drama	5	Joe Bravo	David Fawkes	Harold L. Queen	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.85	$200,000	II	[17]
Sabin Stakes
2014	Devil's Cave	4	Javier Castellano	Martin D. Wolfson	Alpha Delta Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.00	$215,000	II	[18]
2013	Royal Delta	5	Mike E. Smith	William I. Mott	Besilu Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.31	$98,000	III	[4]
2012	Awesome Maria	5	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	E. Paul Robsham Stables	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.82	$98,000	III	[19]
2011	Awesome Maria	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	E. Paul Robsham Stables	1 mile	1:36.38	$100,000	III	[20]
2010	Aurora Lights	4	Cornelio Velasquez	Eric Coatrieux	Chiefswood Stables	1 mile	1:37.79	$100,000	III	[21]
2009	One Caroline	4	Edgar S. Prado	George R. Arnold II	G. Watts Humphrey Jr.	1 mile	1:36.87	$100,000	III	[22]
Sabin Handicap
2008	Lady Marlboro	4	Javier Castellano	James A. Jerkens	Susan & John Moore	1 mile	1:37.21	$98,000	III	Dead heat[23]
	Golden Velvet	5	Eibar Coa	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Darley Stable
2007	Swap Fliparoo	4	Javier Castellano	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	1 mile	1:37.73	$140,000	III	[24]
2006	Taittinger Rose	5	Edgar S. Prado	William I. Mott	Mike G. Rutherford	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.49	$100,000	III	[25]
2005	Isola Piu Bella (CHI)	5	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Sumaya U.S. Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.68	$100,000	III	[26]
2004	Roar Emotion	4	John R. Velazquez	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	H. Joseph Allen	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.32	$100,000	III	[27]
2003	Allamerican Bertie	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Steven B. Flint	Richard, Bertram & Elaine Klein	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.49	$100,000	III	[28]
2002	Miss Linda (ARG)	5	Richard Migliore	John C. Kimmel	Ackerley Brothers Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.61	$100,000	III	[29]
2001	De Bertie	4	Jorge F. Chavez	Bernard S. Flint	Richard, Bertram & Elaine Klein	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.74	$103,000	III	[30]
2000	Brushed Halory	4	Mike E. Smith	Josie Carroll	James & Alice Sapara	1 mile & 70 yards	1:41.84	$75,000	III	[31]
1999	Timely Broad	5	Nicholas J. Petro	Michael P. Petro	Timothy Cunningham	1 mile & 70 yards	1:42.50	$75,000	III	[32]
1998	Radiant Megan	5	Julie Krone	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	1 mile & 70 yards	1:41.25	$75,000	III	[33]
1997	Rare Blend	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Claude R. McGaughey III	H. Joseph Allen	1 mile & 70 yards	1:41.28	$75,000	III	[34]
1996	Lindsay Frolic	4	Pat Day	Milton W. Wolfson	Stride Rite Racing Stable	1 mile & 70 yards	1:43.70	$75,000	III	[35]
1995	Recognizable	4	Mike E. Smith	Claude R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	1 mile & 70 yards	1:42.50	$75,000	III	[36]
1994	Hunzinga	5	Julio E. Felix	Barranet Farquharson	Pauline Farquharson	1 mile & 70 yards	1:39.57	$75,000	III	[37]
1993	Now Dance	4	Mark Guidry	J. Bert Sonnier	Saron Stable	1 mile & 70 yards	1:41.68	$50,000	Listed	[38]
1992	Lemhi Go	4	Robert Neal Lester	Robert G. Voelkner	R Magers	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.79	$75,000	Listed	[39]
1991	Fit for a Queen	5	Jerry D. Bailey	Claude R. McGaughey III	Hermitage Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.50	$76,700	Listed	[1]

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races