Four line-up against Royal Delta in Personal Ensign

She got back to business in the Del 'Cap last out, and is following the same

route that saw her take the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic for a second straight

year in 2012. A win in the Del 'Cap, a second in the Personal Ensign and a 9

1/2-length score in the Beldame Invitational preceded that contest last season,

and Royal Delta will be looking to go one better in the Personal Ensign this

time around en route to either the Breeders' Cup Classic or another run in the

Ladies' Classic, which returns to its original name of Breeders' Cup Distaff in

2013.

Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who gave up the mount aboard Game

On Dude in the Pacific Classic on Sunday at Del Mar, will be aboard Royal Delta

once again. She will leave from post position 2 under high weight of 124 pounds

as the 2-5 program favorite.

"I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision (for Smith) and I hope

for everyone's sake it works out well," Mott said. "I hope she comes back and

runs a good race and gets the job done to justify his decision."

Royal Delta's challengers in the Personal Ensign include On Fire Baby, who

hasn't competed since a head second in the May 3 La Troienne, and Authenticity,

winner of the Shuvee Handicap last month.

On Fire Baby will be making just her third start of the year in Sunday's

nine-furlong contest. The Smoke Glacken four-year-old closed out her 2012 season

in May following a fourth-place run in the Acorn. She wouldn't be seen in

competition again until taking the Apple Blossom Handicap on April 12 at 12-1

odds, and was sent off only slightly better when 9-2 in the La Troienne.

Trainer Gary Hartlage had to interrupt On Fire Baby's training schedule after

she spiked a fever in June, and will give jockey Joe Johnson a leg up Sunday as

the filly continues on the comeback trail.

Grade 2 victress Open Water and Centring, fourth in the Del 'Cap and third in

the Ogden Phipps in her last two, complete the Personal Ensign field.

Open Water captured the Marjorie L. Everett Handicap in her second start of

the year, but has been unplaced in her last three, two of which came on turf.

The Include filly will be trying a conventional dirt track for only the second

time in her past 11 races. Centring was well beaten in the Delaware Handicap,

but did finish just 1 1/2 lengths behind the Ogden Phipps winner.

"I don't really believe she liked the track at Delaware," trainer Tom Albertrani

said of Centring. "She ran way below expectations. She ran well over this track

last year (when breaking her maiden by 3 1/4 lengths). I can see she is training

a little sharper coming into this weekend, so I feel pretty good about her. Even

if we just hit the frame, we're going to be happy.

"If Royal Delta stubs a toe or something, we're going to be there, but we're

going to do our best just to be in the frame, hopefully. She ran well two races

back at Belmont, so we're just hoping for that same kind of effort out of her."

Jose Ortiz is

jumping ship on Centring to ride Open Water Sunday, leaving the way clear for

Javier Castellano to pick up the mount on Centring.

Also on Saratoga's Sunday card, seven runners have been entered to go 1 3/16

miles over the turf in the $100,000

Idle

Rich. Grade 1 runner-up Imagining will be looking to rebound in the race off

a fading 10th in the Dixie last out in mid-May. Prior to that, the chestnut

five-year-old posted a 3 1/2-length allowance score at Keeneland in his seasonal

opener, and trainer Shug McGaughey is adding blinkers to his charge's equipment

this time around.

Challenging in the Idle Rich will be stakes victor Star Channel, who was only

4 1/4 lengths behind in seventh in the Sword Dancer last Saturday, and Atigun,

third in last year's Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Marathon who is exiting a

seventh-place run in the Colonial Turf Cup on June 22.

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