Havre de Grace Chases Horse of the Year Title

11/5/2011 10:02 AM  | horseracingnation.com
I'm a fan
My Favorite
Havre De Grace wins 2011 Azeri. In 91 previous editions of the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont Park, 41 winners have gone on to year-end divisional honors, with one - Lady's Secret - earning Horse of the Year honors.

A quarter-century later, 2011 Beldame winner Havre de Grace will be bidding to earn the right to be called the nation's top racehorse when she takes on 10 males Saturday in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

With a record of 5-1-0 from six starts this year, including a victory over Classic contender Flat Out and six other males in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga Race Course, Havre de Grace is considered a shoo-in for the Eclipse Award as Older Filly Champion. Her connections - owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones - could easily have played out the string and entered the 4-year-old filly in Friday evening's Ladies' Classic, but opted instead to pit the regal daughter of Saint Liam against males again in the 1 ¼-mile Classic.

"It's simple - we want to put her into position to earn Horse of the Year," said Porter.

After arriving in Jones' barn in late 2010, when the trainer returned from a self-imposed year-long hiatus to deal with health issues, Havre de Grace began fulfilling the potential she had shown as a 3-year-old when trained by Tony Dutrow. On March 19, she beat archrival Blind Luck by 3 ¼ lengths in the Grade 3 Azeri at Oaklawn Park, then annexed her first of three Grade 1 wins in the Apple Blossom a month later. Havre de Grace ran her 2011 record to 3-0 in the Grade 3 Obeah, but tasted her first defeat when nosed out by Blind Luck in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap while giving two pounds.

"After we got beat a nose in the Del 'Cap, we thought we had to do something aggressive," said Porter. "We had to do something to get everybody's attention, hopefully."

The decision was made to run at Saratoga against males, with the choice either the Grade 1 Whitney handicap, in which she would receive a five-pound weight allowance, or the Woodward, in which she would receive just three pounds, but have the advantage of slightly cooler weather.

"We decided on the Woodward, and it worked out great," said Jones after Havre de Grace joined Rachel Alexandra as the only two fillies to ever win the race, coming from off the pace to post a 1 ¼-length win over Flat Out, who would go on to win the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational the same day as the Beldame. "We wanted to give her the opportunity to earn a championship if she was worthy. We want to put it in her hands, not ours."

Havre de Grace returned to New York a month later, handily defeating fillies in an 8 ½-length romp in the 1 1/8-mile Beldame on "Super Saturday," after which Jones and Porter immediately announced their intent to run her in the Classic.


"She deserves a shot at writing racing history," said Porter.


After arriving in Kentucky in mid-October, Havre de Grace posted two workouts, the first a brisk five furlongs in 58.60 at Keeneland and most recently another five-furlong move in 1:02.00 over Churchill Downs' main track, which Jones termed "more like a gallop than a work" as she prepared for her engagement in the Classic.

There, she will attempt to join Zenyatta (2009) as the only female to have won America's richest race; a Classic victory would most likely propel her become the third straight female to win Horse of the Year honors, joining Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Zenyatta (2010).

Porter and Jones believe she can do it.


"I didn't think I would ever see what I thought was the perfect racehorse, but this is the closest I've ever witnessed," said Jones. "If she has a flaw anywhere, anyhow, I can't find it."


 

What the Nation is saying about Havre de Grace Chases Horse of the Year Title...

-->

Related Pages

Related Stories

Top Stories

 

2012 Kentucky Derby | Report this Page |  I'll Have Another  |  Belmont Stakes 2012  |  Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy |   |   | FB Share
Wiki pages: Horses |  People |  Tracks |  Stakes |  Stables |  Horse Racing Games |  Dubai Race Night  | Triple Crown winners  |  Pace Pals