Honey I'm Good Proves Best in Harmony Lodge
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Honey I'm Good takes the Harmony Lodge Stakes at Belmont Park
Almost Heaven Stables' Honey I'm Good popped right out of the gate, then carried her speed the entire six furlongs of a muddy (sealed) Belmont Park main track to win the $80,000 Harmony Lodge Stakes on a misty afternoon June 5. The daughter of Shackleford finished in 1:10.87, defeating 7-5 favorite Royal Charlotte by a length.
The score was the second of the day for trainer Steve Asmussen and the second for rider Junior Alvarado.
Honey I'm Good, breaking from post 3, was sharpest of the nine fillies and mares at the bell and quickly established a two-length lead over Nisha, Pacific Gale, and Royal Charlotte. The opening quarter was run in :22.49. Honey I'm Good continued to keep her advantage on the bend while traveling in the three path, getting a half-mile in :45.82 with Nisha and a wide Pacific Gale giving chase. Mother Mother, who was also set off at 7-5 and far back early, began to advance.
Honey I'm Good held her lead in the lane after five furlongs in :57.85, and a :13.02 final furlong allowed her to clearly get the score over an advancing Royal Charlotte. Pacific Gale was three-quarters of a length back in third, and Mother Mother was 1 3/4 lengths farther back in fourth.
"My filly was the only one with real speed," Alvarado said. "There were a couple of horses with tactical speed, so I only had one plan. I was hoping she would break like she did and after that we just cruised along.
"Even with a normal break I would have sent her pretty hard. The way the track is playing, that was my best chance. This was a tougher group than the last time. I rated and sat second last time, but this was a different group today so my only chance was to take advantage of her speed."
Honey I'm Good, bred in Florida by Ann Fostock, is out of American Queen, by Quiet American. The bay filly is now 2-for-2 on the Belmont strip, after breaking her maiden by 13 1/4 lengths in October 2018 while facing maiden claiming $50,000 foes. Over the winter at Aqueduct Racetrack, she recorded a third, a second, and a win in allowance optional claiming company while sprinting. She now has a 5-1-3 mark in 10 starts and $235,553 in earnings. In winning the Harmony Lodge she defeated grade 2 winner Royal Charlotte, grade 1-placed Piedi Bianchi, and Mother Mother.
"I was hoping for rain and we got a sealed track. She loves that. Everything went our way. She's a cool little horse," said assistant trainer Toby Sheets. "The time off probably did her good. She's little so we have to space her races out. She's runs big every time though."
Stakes-placed American Queen won four of 17 starts for Almost Heaven Stables and was a $225,000 graduate of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale. She is a daughter of stakes-winning Testy Trestle, a full sister to multiple grade 1 winner Classy Cathy, and a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner and sire Sports View. American Queen has a yearling by Darby Dan stallion Dialed In and was bred to Accelerate for 2020.
The winner paid $12.80, $5.20, and $4.10. The Chad Brown-trained Royal Charlotte paid $3.40 and $2.80, and Pacific Gale returned $7.50. The $1 exacta paid $18.
Lael Stables' Chalon, a five-time stakes winner and 5-2 morning-line favorite trained by Arnaud Delacour, was scratched.