Blind Luck, Havre De Grace Headline 2018 Hof Finalists
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 DAVIS HEATS UP AQUEDUCT WINTER BLIND LUCK, HAVRE DE by Joe Bianca GRACE HEADLINE During the rare months of the year when New York racing takes a back seat to other circuits, it=s hard for any news from 2018 HOF FINALISTS the frozen tundra of Aqueduct to break through into the sport=s mainstream awareness. Dylan Davis made that dent Sunday however, after tying a New York Racing Association record by piloting home six winners from nine mounts. That performance followed a five-win day two weeks prior and launched the 23-year-old to the top of the meet standings, ahead of odds-on favorite Manny Franco. The key to this unprecedented success for the Empire State born-and-bred son of jockey Robbie Davis, Dylan said Thursday, is his relationship with new agent Mike Migliore, brother of Richie, and the team effort that has surfaced behind him between the two families. Cont. p5 Blind Luck (L) & Havre de Grace in the 2011 Del Cap | Horsephotos IN TDN EUROPE TODAY GROUP 1 TARGET FOR FOLKSWOOD Champions Blind Luck (Pollard=s Vision) and Havre de Grace Godolphin’s Folkswood will tackle the G1 Jebel Hatta S. on (Saint Liam) thrilled the racing world with their rivalry on the Super Saturday after winning the G3 Dubai Millennium S. at racetrack in the early 2010s and the two mares were once again Meydan on Thursday. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN associated Thursday morning when they were among four Europe. racehorses, three jockeys and three trainers named as finalists on the National Museum of Racing's 2018 Hall of Fame ballot. As chosen by the Museum's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, the 10 finalists are: horses Blind Luck, Havre de Grace, Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat), Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold); jockeys Robby Albarado, Corey Nakatani and Craig Perret; and trainers Mark Casse, John Shirreffs and David Whiteley. Casse, Shirreffs, Whiteley, Albarado and Perret were all named finalists in 2017, as was Gio Ponti. Nakatani was previously a finalist in 2015. 1994 champion sophomore filly Heavenly Prize joins Blind Luck and Havre de Grace as first-time finalists. Blind Luck captured Grade I events at the ages of two, three and four, earning over $3.2 million for trainer Jerry Hollendorefer, Mark DeDomenico LLC, John Carver and Peter Abruzzo; while Fox Hill Farms= Havre de Grace banked $2.5 million and was named 2011 Horse of the Year. The pair began their well-documented rivalry in the 2010 GII Delaware Oaks, with Blind Luck getting the better of Havre de Grace in a photo finish. She repeated the feat one month later in Saratoga=s GI Alabama S., but Havre de Grace returned the favor in the GII Cotillion S. at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing). Cont. p3 Sons of Curlin - Most Consecutive Triple Digit Beyer Speed Figures Palace Malice Exaggerator 114 103 114 101 112 101 107 106 104 Connect Milers Make Sires 107 Met Mile (G1) Winner in 103 102 106 1:33.56 103 Keen Ice 106 $20,000 S&N Inquire about qualified mare rebate Covered 275 mares in his first two books combined LGB, LLC 2018: Photo: A. Coglianese Inquiries to Grant Williamson or Rebecca Grabert 859.873.7053 • www.threechimneys.com @ three_chimneys PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord [email protected] SR. 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Terry May [email protected] WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 10• THETDN.COM FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 23, 2018 Blind Luck & Havre de Grace Headline 2018 HOF Finalists cont. After Blind Luck and Havre de Grace ran second and third, respectively, behind Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled=s Song) in the GI Breeders= Cup Ladies= Classic at year end, Blind Luck was crowned champion sophomore filly of 2010. The rivalry continued into 2011, with Havre de Grace besting Blind Luck in Oaklawn Park=s GIII Azeri S. The pair would later return to Delaware Park to meet one final time, with Blind Luck hitting the wire a nose in front of Havre de Grace in the GII Delaware H. Havre de Grace would go on to defeat male rivals in the GI Woodward S. in her next start, cementing her Horse of the Year honors. Havre de Grace and owner Rick Porter | Horsephotos Gio Ponti, a finalist for the second consecutive year, amassed 10 graded stakes victories--eight of which were Grade Is--and earnings of over $6.1 million in a career that saw him earn three championship honors for owner Castleton Lyons and trainer Christophe Clement. Champion Heavenly Prize, an Ogden Phipps homebred, reeled off win streaks of three consecutive Grade I races at ages three and four en route to a career that saw her never finish off the board in 18 starts for trainer Shug McGaughey. On the trainer side of the ballot, Casse, 57, began his training career in 1979 and has won over 2,400 races to date with earnings exceeding $142 million. Among his most notable runners in recent years are popular dual champion Tepin (Bernstein), 2016 juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) and, most recently, 2017 champion turf horse and Horse of the Year finalist World Approval (Northern Afleet). Shirreffs, 72, who also made the final ballot for the second straight year, is best known as the trainer of the celebrated 2010 Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), as well as 2005 GI Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull). Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 10• THETDN.COM FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 23, 2018 Blind Luck & Havre de Grace Headline 2018 HOF Finalists cont. Famer Curlin (Smart Strike) and 2003 Horse of the Year Shireffs most recently achieved at the highest level with Mineshaft (A.P. Indy). Nakatani=s memorable mounts include Gormley (Malibu Moon), who Hall of Famers Lava Man and captured the GI FrontRunner S. Serena=s Song. To date, he has as a juvenile in 2016 and the banked earnings in excess of GI Santa Anita Derby as a 3-year- $233 million. old in 2017. The finalists were selected by Whiteley, the son of Hall of the Hall of Fame's Nominating Fame trainer Frank Whiteley, Committee from a total of 90 gained acclaim as the trainer of initial candidates. Hall of Fame champions Waya, Revidere and voters may select as many Just a Game. Winning at a candidates as they believe are stunning 32.7% clip throughout worthy of induction to the Hall his training career, the of Fame. All candidates that conditioner also is well known receive majority approval for foiling Spectacular Bid=s 1979 (50.1% or higher) of the voting Triple Crown attempt with panel will be elected to the Hall Coastal in the GI Belmont S. of Fame. Among the jockey finalists, John Shirreffs | Horsephotos The 2018 Hall of Fame Perret won 4,415 races spanning induction ceremony is set for from 1967 through 2005, while Albarado continues to ride in a Aug. 3 at Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga Springs. career that has seen him earn over $214 million and gain fame as the regular rider of two-time Horse of the Year and Hall of TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 10• THETDN.COM FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 23, 2018 Davis Heats Up Aqueduct Winter cont. from p1 races from 124 mounts, putting him 14th in the standings. He ARichie and my dad used to be pretty good rivals when they currently has 33 winners from 142 starts at the Big A. were riding, and they=ve come together since Mike and I hooked AWhat=s different is this is my second year with Mike Migliore up,@ Davis said. ABeing with the Migliores and my dad, we=ve and a couple of guys went out of town,@ Davis said.