Royal Delta (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
GP- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
February 14, 2026

The betting public did not show much love to Gutter Black, making her a 21/1 longshot, but we thought otherwise and made her our pick to win! She would step up, narrowly, in a photo with her stablemate Barossa Valley, and paid $44.10 with the victory. The five-year-old mare by Funny Cide is trained by Mo Mentum Farm and was ridden by J Bravo. For each, it is their first win in the Royal Delta. Congratulations to them! The time of the race was 1:41.69, which is the second quickest in the history of the race. We did have a significant scratch, as Soliloquy Sunset, our second choice from Nakamura Stables, was pulled from the race. Here’s a look at how it went with the ten that would end up running:

(1/4 Mile- :23.45)- Barossa Valley heads out to the front for Mo Mentum Farm, and will lead Aer Stables’ Queen Kingdom by a length as they work their way around the opening turn. Right behind these top two is where we find our eventual winner from Mo Mentum Farm, Gutter Black, as the Funny Cide mare stalks the pace while using the same lane as her stablemate. Peacestone runs to her outside for Hunterman Stable, while closer to the rail Viking Cat and Petroleum, respectively trained by Bigchief Stables and The Sidley Stud run evenly. It’s a length to Wavy Girl, who runs on the outside of three wide for Saratoga Stud as Memorabilia (TwinTowersRacing) and Midnight Rumble (Riggins Racing). Hot Cheddar (The Sidley Stud) runs behind them at the back.

(½ Mile- :47.11)- Moving down the backstretch, Barossa Valley pulls away from the competition somewhat, as she now holds a length and a half advantage on Queen Kingdom. That one runs patiently down the backstretch and is herself a length ahead of Gutter Black and Peacestone as those two still run in the third and fourth lanes. Viking Cat and Petroleum still run beside one another in the middle of the field, with Wavy Girl running behind them. Next in line will continue to be Memorabilia and Midnight Rumble, who are a length ahead of Hot Cheddar. Eight lengths cover the front from the back at this stage of the race.

(Top of Stretch, 1.2F To Go)- Not much changes for the rest of the backstretch trip, and Barossa Valley will continue to lead the way into the turn. Gutter Black would make gradual progress within the turn, and this would lead to her pulling to the outside of Queen Kingdom and having a neck in front of her entering the stretch. Viking Cat and Petroleum would move off the rail with the intention of making an outside move on these two, but that did not materialize in the turn. Meanwhile, Peacestone had packed it in, and Wavy Girl was not looking the one who won this race last year. Midnight Rumble moved to the far outside to make a push but had a lot of ground to make up and not a lot of time to do it with. Hot Cheddar and Memorabilia were done for.

(Finish- 1:41.69)- Barossa Valley looked to go wire to wire in the stretch, and only one horse was making enough progress on her to try and keep that from happening. For Mo Mentum Farm, that was not a concern at all as a 1-2 finish was imminent. The biggest concern of his was Midnight Rumble, who was charging hard but still didn’t seem like she’d get there in time. At the wire, it’s all Mo Mentum Farm, but which one would it be? After examining a photo, our pick to win at 21/1, Gutter Black, would get the head bob for bragging rights on her stablemate. Midnight Rumble showed plenty of heart to make an appearance in that photo but settles for third. Viking Cat slipped by Queen Kingdom late for the fourth-place check, with the rest of the order reading Petroleum, Wavy Girl, Peacestone, Hot Cheddar, and Memorabilia.

About The Winner- Gutter Black, trained by Mo Mentum Farm and ridden to victory by J Bravo, is a five-year-old mare by Funny Cide and is out of Bronx 99. She was bred in California by Iolaus Racing as a yearling and was acquired by Mo Mentum Farm from Xcel Racing with a $80.000 claim in March 2025. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her eighth in 23 starts and her third stake win, all of which hare graded. Her career earnings are now $735.180.

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES