TDN APB: Crown Queen

CROWN QUEEN
(f, 3, Smart Strike–Delta Princess, by A.P. Indy) 
*$1,600,000 wnlg ‘11 KEENOV. 
O-Besilu Stables; B-Palides Investments N. V. Inc (KY); T-Bill Mott. 
Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-2, $593,000. 
Last Start: 1st GI QE II Cup at KEE Oct. 11

After making it a perfect four-for-four on the season in Keeneland’s GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Oct. 11 (video), “TDN Rising Star” Crown Queen (Smart Strike) was placed on the bench for a well-deserved break. 

“We haven’t planned much yet as to which exact race she’s running in next,” Besilu Stables’ Fabricio Buffolo commented. “We wanted to give her some time off after deciding not to run in the Breeders’ Cup. She is currently at Payson with [trainer Bill] Mott only jogging and doing some slow work. We are not in a hurry now as we believe that she could have a busy next year from the second trimester on.” 

The $1.6-million KEENOV weanling purchase–a half-sister to Ben Leon’s three-time champion and two-time GI Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic heroine Royal Delta (Empire Maker)–earned her diploma over the Belmont lawn June 15, then posted a visually impressive first-level allowance tally at the Spa July 20. She punched her ticket to the QE II Cup with a measured tally over three rivals in the GII Lake Placid S. at Saratoga Aug. 16. Crown Queen made only two attempts during her juvenile season, finishing third in a pair of grassy maiden special weights at Saratoga and Belmont, respectively. 

“We have always believed that she was a talented filly,” Buffolo said. “We couldn’t have asked her for more this year as she stepped up her game every time that she was asked to. Her allowance win was really impressive with that move on the backstretch and she showed in both graded races that she has that extra gear.” 

Buffolo concluded, “It’s been very special for us to have her following her older sister Royal Delta. She was recognized before only as Royal Delta’s half-sister, but now she has made a name for herself, too.” –Steve Sherack