Winter Memories breezes for Lake Placid; Royal Delta possible for surface switch

Winter Memories breezes for Lake Placid; Royal Delta

possible

Multiple Grade 2 star WINTER MEMORIES (El Prado [Ire]) had her first work

back Monday morning since a powerhouse victory in the July 27 Lake George S.

(G2), traveling five furlongs in :59 1/5 over the firm Oklahoma turf course at

Saratoga.

"It was nice and comfortable and handy," said Jimmy Toner, who trains the

daughter of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Memories of Silver for the

Phillips Racing Partnership. "It's what we wanted -- really nice. The grass was

good and the dogs were down, everything is good."

Winter Memories, who is three-for-three this year including the Sands Point

S. (G2) at Belmont Park and the Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland, is being

pointed to the August 21 Lake Placid S. (G2). Toner hopes to use that race as a

bridge to the Garden City S. (G1) at Belmont Park on September 17 and then the

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1) at Keeneland.

"It's been two weeks since she ran, so we'll come back and do a nice, easy

half-mile next week," Toner said.

Also out on the Oklahoma turf Monday was Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) heroine

ROYAL DELTA (Empire Maker), who is contemplating a surface switch for the Lake

Placid.

Working on the turf for the first time in her career, the Bill Mott pupil

negotiated five-eighths in company with her older classic-winning stablemate

Drosselmeyer (Distorted Humor). The two posted the identical time of :59.

Royal Delta, most recently third in the July 23 Coaching Club American Oaks

(G1), has the option of remaining on the dirt for the August 20 Alabama (G1).

"The other filly in (the Lake Placid), she seems pretty nice," Mott said of

Winter Memories, a resounding 4 1/2-length winner of the Lake George. "That was

about as brilliant a performance as we've seen all meet, to give her due

credit."

Royal Delta's dam, Delta Princess (A.P. Indy), won six turf stakes, including

Grade 3 triumphs in the Beaugay H., Mint Julep H. and Locust Grove, but the

sophomore filly has yet to try the surface herself.

Bred and owned by Palides Investments, Royal Delta broke her maiden by 12

lengths on the dirt at Belmont Park last October. A dull ninth in her 2011 debut

in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, she rebounded to win an allowance on

Keeneland's Polytrack on April 15 before going on to her Grade 2 victory at

Pimlico.

"The thing is, she kind of runs over anything," Mott said. "The advantage of

running in the Alabama is that it's obviously a very, very important race, much

more prestigious than the Lake Placid.

"We could run back in the Alabama and after that race we'd still have a month

to the Garden City, if we wanted to try that," he mused. "She's run well enough

on dirt, so we shouldn't rule it out. I guess you want to go where you think you

have the best chance to win. There are definitely options."