Royal Delta Wins the Black-Eyed Susan

ESPN:

No telling whether her effort would have been good enough for her to be competitive two weeks beforehand in the Kentucky Oaks, but a clear-cut victory in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was satisfaction enough Friday at Pimlico for the connections of Royal Delta.
After Royal Delta posted a flashy allowance victory April 15 at Keeneland, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott mulled over the possibility of running the Empire Maker filly back in the Grade 1, $1 million Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs. But employing his customary discretion, Mott waited for the Grade 2, $250,000 Black Eyed Susan, and it paid off with an emphatic, 2 1/2-length score in the traditional Preakness eve fixture.
"We thought she was a nice filly early on, but soon realized she was a little better than we thought," Mott said.
With Jose Lezcano settling her into a nice early stalking position after three other 3-year-old fillies went out for the lead, Royal Delta moved through a rail opening in the final turn of the 1 1/8-mile race, then easily wrested command from a weary Hot Summer before moving along to a 2 1/2-length triumph over Buster's Ready.

Today, Animal Kingdom tries to continue his run to be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.  After so many near misses in the past 15 years or so, it would be nice to see somebody do it.