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Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton's Silverton Hill homebred Havelock and jockey Garrett Gomez found room along the rail and just prevailed by a nose in a five-horse blanket finish of the $100,000 Shakertown Stakes (gr. IIIT) April 13 at Keeneland (VIDEO).
Havelock, sent off at odds 8-1, nipped 2-1 choice Something Extra in a heart-pounding finish, with Perfect Officer just a head behind those two in the 5 1/2-furlong turf test.
The win gives Havelock tallies in both of Keeneland's top turf sprints for older horses as the 6-year-old Great Notion gelding scored in the 2011 Woodford Stakes (gr. III). Havelock has won three of five starts on the Keeneland turf and finished fourth in last year's Shakertown.
"He's a really classy individual," said Gomez, who was aboard Havelock for the first time. "He's real push-button. I just kinda let him get upon his feet and come home."
Trainer Darrin Miller gave Gomez credit in the victory after Havelock rallied from last in the nine-horse field.
"Garrett was humble, but I want to say that was all him. He made every right decision," Miller said. "He's a fun horse; he always shows up."
Havelock completed the 5 1/2-furlong turf race in 1:03.02 and paid $18.60 to win, $7.80 to place, and $4.80 to show. John Menary and Gail Cox's Something Extra, a grade II winner in Canada, returned $4 to place and $2.60 to show, and David Ross Racing Stable's Perfect Officer paid $3 to show.
Also finishing within a half-length of the winner were Canuletmedowneasy and Next Question. Then came Hogy, Regally Ready, Berlino Di Tiger, and China.
