Claret Beret Powers to Royal Delta Victory

Despite scratching last year's winner, Dazzling Move, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. still emerged with a third straight victory, and fifth overall, in the $150,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) as Miller Racing's Claret Beret posted a dominant victory in the 1 1/16-mile main track event Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park. Claret Beret broke well from the outside post in the field of seven older fillies and mares and settled in fourth behind stablemate Eunomia who went to the lead. Eunomia set early fractions of :23.91 and :47.68 as Micah Husbands bided his time on Claret Beret. Moving up on the outside after 6 furlongs in 1:12.28, Claret Beret swung five wide into the stretch and stormed down the center of the track, pulling away from the field to cross the wire 5 lengths ahead of Alpine Princess, who edged Eunomia by a neck for the place. Claret Beret ($18.60) completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.86 on a track rated fast, pushing her record to 6-1-3 in 18 starts for earnings of $440,834. "You could probably consider a race like the Apple Blossom off of this performance," Joseph said. "I think it's definitely worth a shot." The 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) is slated for April 11 at Oaklawn Park. Multiple graded stakes-placed prior to the Royal Delta, the 5-year-old mare bred in Kentucky by Mitch Haynes earned her first stakes victory and became the fourth graded stakes winner of the year for sire Not This Time, who stands for $250,000 at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky. Grande Gritty in Comeback Victory Earlier on the Saturday card at Gulfstream, Repole Stable's 2025 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) runner-up Grande returned to racing with a gutsy win in an allowance optional claiming race on the main track. Grande was last seen on the track finishing second in last April's Wood Memorial to Rodriguez. Pointed to the Kentucky Derby (G1) off that finish, Grande was scratched by regulatory veterinarians the morning of the race after dealing with a cracked heel in the leadup to the Derby. The Curlin colt hadn't started since, returning to the work tab Dec. 8 at Palm Beach Downs for trainer Todd Pletcher. Saturday's 1-mile allowance event did not appear to be an easy victory on paper for the 4-year-old, and that proved true in the running. Passed in the stretch by highly regarded Praetor after setting pressured fractions of :24.14 and :47.05, Grande grittily battled back on the rail to regain the lead and post a three-quarter-length victory. Grande, piloted by Rajiv Maragh and sporting blinkers for the first time, clocked the mile in 1:36.13 on a fast track and paid $4.80 to win as the favorite. Praetor, an Into Mischief colt who was last seen finishing third in the April 2025 Lexington Stakes (G3), finished second, 14 1/2 lengths ahead of X Y Prime in third.