Mott Sweeps Endeavour With Delta Princess

(from Tampa Bay Downs report)
Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott saddled the $100,000 Endeavour Stakes exacta – winner Delta Princess and runner-up Fast Cookie in an uncoupled entry – and also won the Rare Treat Handicap at Aqueduct with Miss Fortunate five minutes later.

"It was pretty exciting coming in first and second here and winning in New York at the same time," Mott said in the Tampa Bay Downs winner's circle, a tad warmer then New York's 38 degrees on Saturday.

Delta Princess, after lounging in the back of the 11-horse field for much of the race, closed with a rush in a well-timed ride by Heberto Castillo, Jr., finishing a half-length in front of her stable mate, Fast Cookie with Cornelio Velasquez in the irons.

The daughter of A.P. Indy, owned by Saud bin Kahlid, stopped the clock at 1:43.54 for the 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares.

Third-place finisher Lentil, with top Tampa rider Jesus Castanon aboard, made all the pace in the race, setting modest fractions of :24.24; :49.41; 1:13.69. Lentil was still the leader at the eighth pole and held on well, beaten only a neck by Fast Cookie.

Delta Princess was still in seventh approaching the furlong pole before Castillo was able to swing wide and let her loose.

Mott said both of his mares are eventually headed for the breeding shed but he hopes that at least one will be able to come back and compete in the track's Hillsborough Stakes (gr. III) on March 19.

Delta Princess, out of the Lyphard mare Lyphard's Delta, improved her career record to 8-3-6 in 24 starts and boosted her earnings to $438,995 with the win. She now has nine wins and two seconds from 15 starts at the distance on turf.

(Chart, Equibase)