Thanks to her easy-going nature, Havre de Grace,
the Horse of the Year candidate racing for Rick Porter’s Fox Hill
Farms, has had no problem settling into Keeneland, where she is training
for her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on November 5 at
Churchill Downs.
“Where
her feed tub is is her home,” trainer Larry Jones, also her regular
exercise rider, said. “She doesn’t care if she sleeps at Saratoga or
Delaware Park or wherever or Keeneland. I haven’t really found a racing
surface that she doesn’t care for. To me, she’s gotten over the slop,
she’s gotten over dry; she’s training good on (Keeneland’s Polytrack) –
so that helps a lot.”
On
Thursday morning, Jones rode the 4-year-old daughter of Saint Liam to
the starting gate to watch a stablemate work from the gate, giving the
crew there a treat.
“I
rode up – they didn’t know who I was on – and I told them, ‘I’m not
going to do anything,’ ” Jones said. “I said, ‘I’m just on my stable
pony.’ I rode her up to the back of the gate. They were playing with
her. She was just standing there with her head down, didn’t know if she
was going in or not but she wasn’t fretting.
“They
said, ‘Who is this? This isn’t a stable pony.’ I said, ‘Well it’s Havre
de Grace.’ They said, ‘Man.’ She was just standing there with her head
down, letting the gate crew just play with her, wasn’t concerned about
going in the gates. She does whatever.
“Yesterday,
I didn’t go at any super gallop. I just went to where I could watch
that filly gallop. Sat down there at the quarter pole, waiting for her
to work around. I galloped down behind her, pulled up with her and come
home. Until it was over, (Havre de Grace) didn’t even know, ‘Oh, that’s
it for the day?’ Then she wanted to start bucking and playing like ‘Hey,
this is an easy day.’
“She’s a dream come true.”
Winner
of the Grade 1 Woodward and Beldame Invitational in her two most recent
races, Havre de Grace is among the 40 horses Jones has at Keeneland.
She is scheduled to work here probably on October 24.
“She’s
training so good,” Jones said. “I sent Rick a text this morning to let
him know (reads the message): ‘HDG (Havre de Grace) fuel tank back on
full. Ready to go any time.’ ”