Horse of the Year Havre de Grace will make her 2012 debut in the Grade 3
Azeri at Oaklawn Park on March 17. The announcement was made Wednesday by owner
Rick Porter on his Fox Hill Farm website.
“(Trainer) Larry (Jones) and I have mapped out some possible races for the
next few months for Havre de Grace and Joyful Victory,” said Porter, also
referring to Havre de Grace’s four-year-old filly stablemate. “We decided that
the best choice for Havre de Grace’s first race of the year is the Azeri at
Oaklawn on March 17. Joyful Victory will run at Fair Grounds in the New Orleans
Ladies on the same day. We felt these are the best opportunities for our two
fillies. Ramon Dominquez will come in to ride Havre de Grace and Robby Albarado
will be aboard Joyful Victory. This will be a big day for Fox Hill.”
Havre de Grace kicked off her national championship campaign by winning last
year’s Azeri by 3 1/4 lengths over arch-rival Blind Luck. Havre de Grace later
won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap, Grade 3 Obeah, the Grade 1 Woodward
against males, and the Grade 1 Beldame. Her two defeats were a nose loss to
Blind Luck in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap and a fourth in the Grade 1
Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Joyful Victory, who captured the Grade 2 Fantasy and Grade 3 Honeybee at
Oaklawn last year, recently won the Tiffany Lass at Fair Grounds.