Rose to Gold Rules Dirt in Delta Princess

Rose to Gold returned to dirt and remained unbeaten on it, taking the $500,000 Delta Princess Stakes (gr. III) by half a length Nov. 17 at Delta Downs (VIDEO).

The juvenile daughter of Friends Lake came off a 12th-place finish over Polytrack in the Oct. 5 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland to resume her winning ways for owners Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centofanti. She ran the mile in 1:39.38, beating eight other 2-year-old fillies.

Trained by Sal Santoro, Rose to Gold had been unbeaten Before the Darley Alcibiades with impressive victories in the one-mile Lindsay Frolic Stakes and the Brave Rajiv Stakes going a mile and 70 yards at Calder Race Course & Casino. Her winning margin in each was a respective 13 and 13 1/2 lengths. She was one of four runners in the field carrying 119 pounds in the Delta Princess; the others carried 117.

Off well at the start, the chestnut filly employed her typical tactics settling just off the lead. She tracked along the rail in third behind a pace set alternately by Unhedged, who went the first quarter in :23.49, and Salamera, who went the half in 48:49, then commenced her move behind three-quarters in 1:13.85 run by Touch Magic, who had taken the lead in upper stretch.

Put into a strong drive by jockey Paco Lopez leaving the turn, Rose to Gold split horses and responded when roused to the task, running seven-eighths in 1:26.82 en route to the wire. Lopez gave a few strokes of the stick to keep the filly to task in the final furlong as she drifted in slightly; she held sway over Touch Magic while Sittin At the Bar got up to round out the tri.

Rose to Gold returned $7.60, $5.60, and $4.60. Touch Magic paid $17.40 and $11.40. Sittin At the Bar brought $6.80. Madame Cactus, the 8-5 favorite, Salamera, Unhedged, Floral Sky, Cayllano, and Cloudy in Sandiego completed the order of finish.

Rose to Gold was bred in Kentucky by Joe Mulholland Sr., Joe Mulholland Jr., John Mulholland & Karen Mulholland out of the Tabasco Cat mare Saucy. The Delta Princess win improved her record to three victories from four starts, with earnings of $372,889.