Havre de Grace commands $10 million from Whisper Hill

Havre de Grace boosted the sale’s gross and average (Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos) Whisper Hill Farm went to $10 million to purchase reigning Horse of the Year HAVRE DE GRACE (Saint Liam) at Monday evening’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale at Newtown Paddocks near Lexington, Kentucky. Cataloged as Hip No. 76, the five-year-old mare was consigned as a broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm. Havre de Grace, originally sold for $380,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, was the archrival of champion Blind Luck during their three-year-old season in 2010. Just denied by Blind Luck in the Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 2 Delaware Oaks, Havre de Grace turned the tables in the Grade 2 Cotillion. Both sophomores yielded to the older Unrivaled Belle in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs, where Blind Luck took runner-up honors and Havre de Grace settled for third in her final start for Tony Dutrow. Transferred to Larry Jones when he returned from retirement, Havre de Grace began her 2011 Horse of the Year campaign by easily defeating Blind Luck in the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes. After two more convincing scores in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap and Grade 3 Obeah Stakes, Havre de Grace reunited with her old nemesis Blind Luck in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap, and was just outdueled in a thriller.

Havre de Grace rebounded from that tough loss by comfortably beating males in
the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, then dusted eventual three-year-old filly champion
Royal Delta by 8 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Beldame Invitational. Although Havre
de Grace was only fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic versus males at Churchill
Downs, she had already wrapped up the champion older female title, and had done
enough to secure the golden Eclipse statuette as Horse of the Year.

Remaining in training for 2012, Havre de Grace returned to action with a 4
1/2-length victory in the March 17 New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds.
Unfortunately, she developed an injury to her right front ankle and was retired
in late April. She compiled a record of 16-9-4-2, $2,586,175.

Havre de Grace, from the only crop of ill-fated 2005 Horse of the Year Saint
Liam, was produced by the winning Carson City mare Easter Bunnette. Her second
dam, Grade 2-placed stakes victress Toll Fee (Topsider), is also the ancestress
of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Riskaverse (Dynaformer) as well as Grade
3 scorers Cozzy Corner (Cozzene), Bouquet Booth (Flower Alley) and Tasteyville
(With Approval).

With her third dam being Broodmare of the Year Toll Booth (Buckpasser), Havre
de Grace hails from the terrific family of Horse of the Year and supersire A.P.
Indy (Seattle Slew), Preakness-winning sire Summer Squall (Storm Bird),
champions Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo) and Plugged Nickle (Key to the Mint) and
successful sire Raja Baba (Bold Ruler).

Havre de Grace was the most spectacular of a total of 15 horses who went for
$1 million or more.

At the conclusion of Monday’s sale, Fasig-Tipton reported that 87 horses were
sold for $60,220,000. The gross skyrocketed 83.9 percent from the $32,745,000
realized by 79 sellers one year ago. The average soared virtually 67 percent,
from $414,494 to $692,184. The $190,000 median, however, declined 5 percent from
the $200,000 recorded in 2011.

For complete results, log on to

fasigtipton.com.