Royal Mende Joins Mendelssohn Winner List

Royal Mende (3c Mendelssohn x Malibu Royalty, by Malibu Moon) became his sire’s newest winner on Saturday with an impressive Maiden Special Weight victory at Gulfstream Park.

A homebred for Gary Broad, the Christopher Davis trainee broke well to speed to the front and take up pacesetting duties with a horse keeping him honest on his hip. While other horses started to feel pressure from their riders around the far turn of the 7 ½ furlong turf race, Jose Ortiz continued to let Royal Mende set his own pace.

It wasn’t until they hit the stretch that Royal Mende felt the whip with Ortiz just waving it for encouragement from that point as the 3-year-old graduated by a length in his second start.

Trained by Christopher Davis, Royal Mende’s dam is a half-sister to 10-time winner Fortune Cookie and his fourth dam is the champion Hollywood Wildcat. Horses descending from that mare include her Grade I winning sun War Chant and multiple Grade I winning grandson Danon Smash.

Mendelssohn’s count of 26 winners is fourth best among all second crop sires with that group including two stakes winners and seven stakes performers led by Grade II winner Delight.