Havelock comes from way behind to defeat Lonesome Street in the Hanshin Cup
Jockey Florent Geroux helped, Havelock to snap his to snap his 3 race losing streak in the Grade 3, $150,000 Hanshin Cup, with a well timed run in the stretch to overhaul the favoured, Lonesome Street by a neck at Arlington Park on 19 May, 2012.
Silverton Hills’ Maryland homebred, Havelock was sent with the odds of 9 to 1, and was placed last the one mile poly track race that reeled in 9, 3-year-old and up colts and geldings.
Jockey Florent Geroux angled the Great Notion colt wide and rallied for the wire in the stretch, covering the one mile distance on 1 minute and 37.10 seconds.
“They (the connections) told me the race today was kind of far for him so the key was to get perfect timing,” Geroux said. “He broke pretty sharp, and we stayed just behind the first flight. I didn’t want to go five wide the whole way so I took him inside on the turn to try to save ground. I had enough horse in the turn but I didn’t want to make the lead too soon. The mile is about as far as he can go. I tried to have good timing to get there.”
It was Michael J. Maker trained, Lonesome Street, under jockey James Graham grabbed the lead right from the outset and carved mild fractions, as he covered the opening quarter mile in 24.12 seconds, half mile in 47.80 seconds six furlongs in 1 minute and 12.09 seconds, and 1 minute and 24.29 seconds.
However, leading for most part of the race, the 2 to 1 first choice was unable to keep Havelock at bay.
Trained by Darrin Miller for owner and breeder Silverton Hill LLC, the 5-year-old horse, Havelock last won at Keeneland last year when he participated in the five and a half furlong Grade 3 Woodford Stakes.
Vied for the Breeders’ Cup, but lost the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last fall at Churchill Downs, and in this year kicked off proceedings with a third place finish in a starter handicap and back to Keeneland with a fourth place finish in the Grade 3 Shakertown Stakes.
Tags: