Havre de Grace set for Woodward

Havre de Grace is now expected to face the boys for the first time in the Woodward (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography) Owner Rick Porter announced Friday that distaff star HAVRE DE GRACE (Saint Liam) would take on males in the September 3 Woodward S. (G1) at Saratoga. Posting on his Fox Hill Farm website, rockportharbor.com, Porter explained that the alternative of the August 28 Personal Ensign S. (G1) lost its luster, with archrival BLIND LUCK (Pollard’s Vision) not expected to ship to the Spa for the pair’s seventh clash. “We feel we are ready to take on the boys,” Porter wrote, “and since it looks almost 100 percent that Blind Luck is not coming for the Personal Ensign, according to my sources at NYRA, the Woodward looks like the spot to run her. “She deserves to run in a race with this prestige. We think she is up to taking on the boys now. Let’s just hope (trainer) Larry (Jones) and I made the right decision. She is ready.” The decision on the part of the Havre de Grace camp comes at a time when Blind Luck looks increasingly likely to confront males herself. Blind Luck’s nearest target of opportunity is the August 28 Pacific Classic (G1) at her home base of Del Mar.

A victory over males promises to loom large in their tussle for an Eclipse
Award. Although Blind Luck prevailed in three of their four meetings last
season, the scorecard is tied in 2011. Havre de Grace drew first blood with a 3
1/4-length triumph in the March 19 Azeri S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park, but Blind Luck
outdueled her archrival in their most recent meeting in the July 16 Delaware H.
(G2).

While Blind Luck would make history as the first distaffer to capture the
Pacific Classic, Havre de Grace is following the trail first blazed by Rachel
Alexandra in the 2009 Woodward. Rachel Alexandra, then a three-year-old, used
her historic coup to clinch the Horse of the Year title.

Havre de Grace, who has been narrowly beaten by Blind Luck in her two
attempts at 1 1/4 miles, could enjoy cutting back to 1 1/8 miles in the
Woodward. Judging by her bullet work last Wednesday at Delaware Park, a
five-furlong blitz in :59 3/5, she is sitting on a big effort.

“Havre de Grace’s work was amazing,” Porter posted. “A group of us watching
from the grandstand guessed at her time and no one was under 1:01. She just does
it so easily you don’t realize how fast she is going. She just gobbles up
ground. I remember the same thing with Rockport Harbor and Hard Spun. No one
watching could believe the time after watching the work.”