Royal Delta Wins Pimlico's Black-Eyed Susan

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Royal Delta rallied to beat Buster's Ready by 2 1/2 lengths in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday at Pimlico.

The Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies is the companion event to the Preakness on Saturday, and kicks off the biggest
weekend in Maryland racing.

Jose Lezcano was aboard for trainer Bill Mott as Royal Delta got her third win in four starts. She was fourth in the early stages as Hot Summer, Wyomia and Buster's Ready vied for the lead.

Turning for home, Lezcano took Royal Delta off the rail and she responded eagerly to score her first stakes win.

"We thought she was a nice filly early on but soon realized she was better than we thought," Mott said. "She keeps improving. She just keeps coming and coming."

The time was 1:49.60 for the 1 1-8 miles on the fast track.

Royal Delta paid $5.60, $3.80 and $2.60. Buster's Ready returned $5.20 and $2.60. Hot Summer paid $2.80 to show.

Earlier on the card, Mary Wiley guided Mass Destruction to a 6 1/2-length win in the Lady Legends race for retired riders, a fund raiser for the Susan G. Komen fund for breast-cancer research.

Emma-Jayne Wilson was the winner in a three-race competition for active female jockeys.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)