Delegation, a three-year-old bay son of Speightstown, became the latest stakes winner for his sire in Sunday’s $150,300 Durham Cup S. (G3) at Woodbine. Speightstown is America’s second-leading sire in progeny earnings, more than $8.3 million, and by stakes winners, with 19.
Ridden by Patrick Husbands, Delegation took charge at the outset, getting the half-mile in a modest :50.59. Holding a steady length and a half lead around the final turn, Delegation would not be seriously challenged from that point on. At the finish of the mile and one-eighth affair, Delegation stopped the clock in 1:50.60
“He is legit fast leaving the gate and he’s not a run off type horse,” said Husbands. “He’s a Speightstown, which is speed, speed, but when he’s on the lead, he’s not going to run off on you.”
It was the fourth career win from six starts for Delegation, who was unraced at two. This year on the turf, he was close-up second in the one-mile Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury on July 28 and third in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Play the King S. at Woodbine on Aug. 26.
“I always get a bit nervous, but I should know better,” said trainer Mark Casse’s assistant Kathryn Sullivan. “Patrick had the measure of the horse all that way down the stretch and he had it well in hand.
“He has just been doing everything right,” continued Sullivan. “He’s never been worse than third in his career. He is such a consistent horse and I think he has really been improving.”
Delegation, owned by Gary Barber, was a $150,000 purchase at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton February Select 2-year-olds in Training sale. The bay Kentucky bred is out of Cindy’s Hero, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.
