Royal Delta moving forward after Personal Ensign triumph

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - Champion mare Royal Delta came out of her dominating victory Sunday in the Personal Ensign Invitational in great shape and is headed to her next race.

The 5-year-old two-time Eclipse Award winner won the Personal Ensign by 4 1/2 lengths and will now go after a repeat in the Beldame on Sept. 28 at Belmont Park.

"She looked fine; she was good this morning," trainer Bill Mott said Monday. "Looked like she's got another one in her. If she runs in the Beldame, we go to the Breeders' Cup. She could be nominated (to both the Classic and Distaff) the same way she was last year, but I don't think anything is written in stone yet. I think that would be a conversation for something closer to the race. I don't think it's something we're going to plan on now. It's an option."

Owned by Besilu Stables, Royal Delta will have the opportunity to win a third straight Breeders' Cup race this year at Santa Anita Park. She captured the last two runnings of the Ladies' Classic which is now back to being called the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

The 5-year-old mare won the Delaware Handicap last month by 10 3/4 lengths after finishing second in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs in June. She began 2013 by winning the Sabin at Gulfstream Park, but finished up the track behind Animal Kingdom in the Dubai World Cup.