In a thrilling stretch duel, champion 3yo filly of 2010 Blind Luck edged her longtime rival Havre de Grace in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) this afternoon at Delaware Park.
Under Garrett Gomez, the filly broke a step slowly but quickly settled into the fourth spot in a five horse field as Life at Ten and Thundering Emilia set the pace. 3-5 favorite Havre de Grace, coming off of an easy win in the Obeah Stakes (gr. III) last month, was a bit headstrong in third, hauling her rider Ramon Dominguez into the race early on. Love's Blush trailed the field.
Through moderate fractions the positions remained unchanged, but moving into the final turn Havre de Grace inched up on the outside and then blew past the leaders, entering the homestretch with the lead. But Blind Luck had been kept closer to the pace by Garrett Gomez, and the two fillies confronted each other with three-sixteenths of a mile to go.
An amazing stretch duel ensued, with both fillies clinging together and opening up a huge lead on the rest of the field. In the final yards, Blind Luck stuck her head in front and kept it there to cross the wire the narrow winner. The daughter of Pollard's Vision stopped the clock in 2:01 1/5 seconds.
Havre de Grace lost nothing in defeat, putting up a magnificent fight. Life at Ten held off Love's Blush for third, with Thundering Emilia just behind them.
-Keelerman
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