Crown Queen

As a sister to Royal Delta, a multiple champion and Breeders’ Cup winner, Crown Queen was always worth a lot of money. Now that she’s won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, her $1.6 million weanling price tag looks like a downright bargain.

Crown Queen’s owner, Benjamin Leon, went on a torrid shopping spree at the 2011 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale. He fought off all challengers to secure Royal Delta for $8.5 million just three days after she captured her first Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Mr. Leon also shelled out $3 million for Grade 1 winner Quiet Dance and another $2.6 million for her weanling filly by Medaglia d’Oro. So $1.6 million for Crown Queen wasn’t so bad, especially considering her dam, Delta Princess, also sold for $2.6 million to Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs Farm.

Crown Queen is a daughter of Smart Strike, one of America’s very best stallions. In fact, she is the 15th Grade 1 winner sired by the son of the great Mr. Prospector (Curlin, English Channel, Lookin at Lucky and My Miss Aurelia are among the others).

While Royal Delta took more after her sire, Empire Maker, and was excepional on dirt, Crown Queen takes more after her dam and has made all of her starts on grass. Delta Princess earned over $380,000 on that surface and her resume shows a trio of graded victories on turf. Bill Mott trained Delta Princess in her racing days as well as her dam, Lyphard’s Delta.

To their credit Mott and Mr. Leon didn’t lose patience with Crown Queen after a pair of third place finishes against Maiden Special company last year in New York. She was put away to let develop physically and mentally and didn’t return to the races until mid-June at Belmont Park. She coasted home in a Maiden Special that day and collected two more victories in as many starts en route to winning the QE II.

“She’s answered absolutely every question we’ve asked,” Mr. Leon said after the QE II. “So now I think it’s just a matter of sitting back and enjoying her… I’m looking forward to her 4-year-old year. That should be an exceptional year, I’d think.”

We couldn’t agree more.

-originally posted on http://www.myfantasystable.com