Azeri the Starting Point for Havre de Grace

Fox Hill Farms’ Havre de Grace, the Horse of the Year in 2011, will make her first start of the year in the Azeri Stakes (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park March 17, owner Rick Porter announced Feb. 22.

It was the Azeri, named for the 2002 Horse of the Year, that launched Havre de Grace’s 2011 championship campaign, as she easily defeated her arch rival Blind Luck by 3 3/4 lengths.

“Larry (Jones) and I have mapped out some possible races for the next few months for Havre de Grace and Joyful Victory,” Porter said. “We decided that the best choice for Havre de Grace’s first race of the year is the Azeri.

"Joyful Victory (winner of the Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds Feb. 11) will run at Fair Grounds in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes 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 won five of her seven starts last year, highlighted by victories in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) against males and the Beldame Invitational (gr. I), in which she trounced eventual Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) winner and 3-year-old filly champion Royal Delta by 8 1/4 lengths.

Bred by Nancy S. Dillon, Havre de Grace, a daughter of Horse of the Year Saint Liam, has won eight races in 15 career starts, with four seconds and two thirds for earnings of $2,496,175.