In May, Legion Bloodstock went to $300,000 at the Inglis Digital USA Sale on behalf of Ribble Farms and Front Page Equestrian to secure a grade 3-placed Mohaymen filly who was exiting consecutive stakes placings. Four months and three starts later, Regaled has repaid that investment with her first stakes victory in the $392,000 Delaware Handicap (G3).
The 4-year-old filly picked up two more stakes placings—most recently third in the Sept. 13 Locust Grove Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs—since joining the barn of trainer Whit Beckman, but her progression continued to her dominant performance Sunday.
"She's definitely already paid her way as far as the value we've gotten from her in a few starts," Beckman told BloodHorse. "It was a fantastic performance. We caught a little bit of pace in front of us. ... She was ready for it today."
That pace was set by Dazzling Move, who detached herself from the field while running fractions of :22.83, :47.02, and 1:10.99. Biding his time several lengths behind, winning jockey Joseph Ramos called upon his filly at the three-eighth pole and began picking up steam.
Runaway Diva took command in the stretch while riding the rail as Dazzling Move drifted outward, but Regaled's momentum was overwhelming as she blew past for a 6 1/4-length victory. Completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.94, she paid $8.40 to win.
Ramos said that Regaled broke much better Sunday than she had in his two rides aboard the filly since her purchase.
"She just gave me the trip I wanted," Ramos told Delaware Park publicity after the race. "I was a little closer than I expected I wanted to be, but I think that worked out perfect. As soon as we hit the three-eighth pole, I start tapping on her shoulder and she started moving so good for me. I said, 'I got this.'"
Regaled entered the race on 15 days' rest since the Locust Grove, a decision Beckman said he made partially because of how well she bounced out of the third-place performance and partially because the race looked, on paper, like a winnable spot.
"There was no reason not to," Beckman said. "She looked good and was healthy, happy, eating, sound, all the things."
As part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series, the top three finishers earned credit toward their pre-entry and entry fees to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 1. Regaled earned a $30,000 credit, Runaway Diva earned $15,000 for finishing second, and Dazzling Move earned $7,500 for third.
Ramos and the ownership expressed excitement toward a potential Breeders' Cup bid, but Beckman remained cautious over committing with more than a month to go.
"We'll see how everything looks," Beckman said. "It's a pretty tough division, there's some nice horses."
Bred in Kentucky by Chris Baccari, Regaled is out of the winning Daaher mare Ascot Walk, making her a half sister to this year's Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up Drexel Hill. In three starts for her new connections, she has earned $319,300.
