Fair Grounds: Havre De Grace Returns on the New Orleans Ladies

Reigning horse of the year, Havre de Grace, will make her 2012 season debut today on the $150,000 New Orleans Ladies Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Havre de Grace will be facing only four opponents that look to be over-matched and should have an easy workout for her return to the track.

Havre de Grace has six timed workouts as preparation for this race, and on her last four, she's had the best time of the day on three of them—on the other one, she was second-best.

All this suggests she returns in top shape and ready for prime-time.

She will be ridden again by her regular rider, reigning two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Ramon Dominguez, who is off to another blazing start this year.

She towers over her opponents not only in class, but her performances are much better than all of her opponents' combined.

Havre de Grace's career earnings are almost five times more than the combined career earnings of her opponents. Her average Beyers in her last four races is 105—none of her opponent's has reached the 90 Beyer mark.

Reality is none of her opponents might be gunning to beat Havre de Grace, but this is Stakes competition and she still has to run the race to make it official. Nothing is guaranteed in life other than death and taxes.

Havre de Grace is best when stalking the pace and she will be able to do this at will today.

Sterling Dame and Juanita are the speed horses, and Dominguez might choose to settle a couple of lengths behind them.

Juanita—with Rosie Napravnik aboard—should look to take control of the lead by the half-mile pole, but it won't be easy, as Sterling Madame might match her stride for stride—at least to the three-quarter-mile pole.

But once they start rounding the final turn, they will feel the daunting presence of the reigning Horse of the Year breathing down their necks.

Dominguez will put position on her by the final two furlongs and should romp to an easy win that should be by at least 10 lengths.

The last time we saw Havre de Grace take on a fillies-and-mares-only field, she romped to an eight-length win over three-year-old champion filly Royal Delta. There should be no problem in replicating that result.

Should something strange happen and Havre de Grace not fire her best race, then you should look for Juanita to be the likely upset winner.

For third place, I look for Distorted Love to close in and take over Sterling Madame on the home stretch.

This will be a race for us—and owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones—to see Havre de Grace once again, establish where she is at conditioning-wise and start thinking where she will run next.

No matter what you are looking for in the race, you should be watching because the reigning Horse of the Year will run once again.

New Orleans Ladies Stakes
Oaklawn Park, AK
Purse: $150,000
Distance: 1-1/16 Mile
Post Time: 4:50 p.m. CT

No	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	M/L Odds
1	Sterling Madame	James Graham	Thomas Amoss	8/1
2	Havre de Grace	Ramon Dominguez	Larry J. Jones	1/5
3	Annabel Lee	John Jacinto	David K. Schwartz	30/1
4	Distorted Love	Richard E. Eramia	Helen Pits	12/1
5	Juanita	Rosie Napravnik	Michael J. Maker	5/1

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