While writing my congratulations
blog to Johnny V on his recent induction into the National Thoroughbred Racing
Hall of Fame I learned the disappointing news of Havre De Grace. While trying
to be upbeat and excited for Johnny V finally getting the nod to join our Hall
of Fame, I am fighting back feeling of heartbreak over our lost of Gracie.
I was supposed to be giving you
statistics about Johnny winning over 4800 races and earning over $264 million
in purses. I was going to tell you about how he has won 8 Breeders Cups, a Dubai world cup, Oaks, a
Belmont, a Kentucky Derby and has a great chance again this year with Went the
Day Well. I was going to tell you that he has been in the top 10 in career
earning every year since 2000. He broke into the top 5 in earnings 9 times
during those years leading him to receive 2 Eclipse Awards for Outstanding
Jockey.
But since the news has broken about
Havre De Grace, all I can do is reflect back on her. Since 2009, fillies and
mares have dominated our Horse of the Year honors and our greatest moments. In
2009, I fell in love with this game thanks to a filly for the ages. She left
racing in 2010, but Zenyatta was still there for us to enjoy and enjoy we did.
But she too left after 2010 allowing two other fillies to fill these incredibly
big shoes. And thus the rivalry started…
Blind Luck and Havre De Grace
mesmerized us with their stretch duals and the fact that neither horse was able
to really shut down the other. Blind Luck would win one, Gracie would win one,
and then Blind Luck would get the next one. This went back and forth and I was
captivated with both. They were exactly what I was looking for and they never,
EVER disappointed.
It was only fitting that they would
meet for the first time in Delaware as that would also be the site of their
last meeting. Their final meeting in the Delaware Handicap would be not only my
favorite performance of theirs, but my 2011 moment of the year.
Shortly after, Blind Luck was
retired and Gracie took her fight to the boys. She was left alone carrying the
torch in the ‘great filly and mare years’. She would stand up to the challenge
despite a disappointing 4th place finish in the Breeders Cup
Classic. But after a little rest, she came right back to win the New Orleans
Ladies. We thought that we would see her in the Apple Blossom, but that was not
to be. We then couldn’t wait to see her in the Fleur de Lis, but that too was
not in the cards. Our reigning Horse of the Year has been retired due to
injury.
It was a workout that forced her
into retirement and now we are looking for someone else to carry the torch
passed on to Gracie from the likes of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. Thankfully, we may
not have too long to wait; Kentucky Oaks is 11 days away. Until then, as I have
had to say before, thanks for the moments that you left for us Grace. You will
be missed on the track and may you continue to be blessed in your next career.