HOT SPRINGS - It was a tearful goodbye.
Heavily favored Delta Flower, in her final start for trainer Stanley Roberts of Forrest City, was a comfortable front-running winner of the $75,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
Under regular rider Terry Thompson, Delta Flower finished 3¾ lengths ahead of Little Miss Flurry in the 6-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies bred in Arkansas.
Little Miss Flurry, owned by Staton Flurry of Hot Springs, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Pink Flash, who was followed, in order, by K J’s Sweetater, Ivy Jo, Pretty Suspect and a distanced Callmeawinner.
Delta Flower, the 4-5 favorite, paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.40. Little Miss Flurry paid $3.40 and $2.80. Pink Flash paid $3.20.
Delta Flower, a daughter of A.P. Delta, was coming off a 3-length maiden victory against open company March 8.
Roberts, who owned the filly and bred in her partnership with Bill Morrison of Camden, sold Delta Flower a week later for an undisclosed sum, a deal brokered by Mark Cornett, head of USA Thoroughbred Racing Management LLC.
Cornett, of Naples, Fla., said Delta Flower will likely head to Kentucky to continue her career with a yet-to-be-announced trainer.
Saturday’s outcome left Roberts, 72, choked with emotion after his 921st career victory.
“This is what we were shooting for to begin with,” Roberts said. “Things worked out. I ran her against open company, and I had a lot of confidence in her. I wasn’t going to go get her butt kicked, I can tell you that.”
Cornett uses a hedge-fund philosophy to purchase horses believed to be undervalued - mostly fillies and mares -and maximize their value before selling them at auction.
Delta Flower was making her first start for owners Gillian Campbell of London; Dan Clark and Greg Skoda, who are from Ohio; and Richard Robertson of Camden.
The filly carried Robertson’s red, white and blue silks Saturday.
Roberts, as part of the deal, was allowed to continue to train Delta Flower for the Rainbow Miss.
“It was the right thing to do,” Robertson said earlier this month.
Delta Flower, who broke from post 4, was a forward factor from the start.
Delta Flower dueled with Pretty Suspect and Callmeawinner through an opening quarter-mile of :22.22. Delta Flower, along the rail, and Pretty Suspect were still heads apart after a half-mile in :46.40.
Delta Flower shook free turning for home and wasn’t challenged in the stretch. She ran 6 furlongs over a fast track in 1:12.27.
Thompson, who also rode Delta Flower to a third-place finish in her Feb. 16 career debut, said the filly’s running style was perfectly suited for how the track was playing Saturday.
“She looked like the one to beat, so we were just going to play it by ear and see how the break was,” Thompson said. “Then after watching the earlier races, the inside was so much of a bias we decided, you know, we have the speed to take the opportunity. We got that rail and held onto it.”
The victory increased Delta Flower’s career earnings to $86,700.
Although Roberts no longer owns Delta Flower, he will continue to collect breeder’s awards, which are paid annually to the breeder of each Arkansas-bred properly registered with Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ & Horsemen’s Association.
Sports, Pages 32 on 03/30/2014