Austin Delaney, who raced five-time New York champion Irish Linnet, died May 15. He was 70.
Delaney, an Irish native who owned the popular Rosie O’Grady’s restaurants in New York City, bred stakes winners Irish Linnet, Irish Actress, Irish Daisy, and Irish Silence and won stakes with the first three.
Irish Linnet duplicated the feat achieved by the great Kelso by winning the same New York stakes five consecutive years. Irish Linnet won a division of the 1991 Yaddo Stakes for New York-bred distaffers at Saratoga and then took the next four runnings. Kelso had won five straight Jockey Club Gold Cups in the 1960s.
Irish Linnet, who also was a three-time graded stakes winner in New York, retired with earnings of $1,220,180.
Irish Actress was the filly who won the other division of the 1991 Yaddo. She captured two other stakes during her career. Irish Daisy also was a stakes winner in New York.