Graceful Princess Hopes to Emulate Dam in Obeah

Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Graceful Princess  will try to follow in the footsteps of her dam, 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace , when she heads to post for the $100,000 Obeah Stakes June 9 at Delaware Park. The 1 1/16-mile affair for fillies and mares is a local prep for the track's summer classic—the 1 1/4-mile Delaware Handicap (G2) July 10.

A 5-year-old daughter of Tapit   trained by Todd Pletcher, Graceful Princess enters off her first stakes placing. She led through most of the 1 1/16-mile Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) April 16 at Keeneland and was collared late by graded stakes winners Bonny South  and Royal Flag  to finish third beaten a neck.

Havre de Grace, whose race owner, Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farm, died at 80 June 6, won the 2011 running of the Obeah (then a grade 3) and was runner-up in that year's Delaware Handicap. After the Del 'Cap she won the Woodward Stakes (G1) and Beldame Invitational Stakes (G1) en route to Horse of the Year and champion older mare titles.

MITCHELL: Porter Remembered for Devotion to Horse Care

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm purchased Havre de Grace for $10 million in 2012 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's premier breeding stock sale. Graceful Princess is her third foal.

Irad Ortiz Jr. was named aboard Graceful Princess Wednesday but is currently injured, necessitating a rider switch on race day. The mare drew post 12 among the 14 entries and was installed as the 9-2 morning-line second choice.

The fillies and mares that finish first through fourth in the Obeah will automatically earn a free nomination to the Del 'Cap.

Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia  was installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, but the Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee is likely to scratch. She. She ran fourth in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park June 5. WinStar Stablemates Racing's Crystal Ball , the 5-1 third choice, will bypass the Obeah for the June 26 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown, according to a Tweet from WinStar Stablemates director Mary Cage. Crystal Ball has won her two starts at the allowance level this year.

Also entered is Robert Slack and Daniel Walters' Bajan Girl , who receives some class relief after finishing fourth in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1) April 30 at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old Speightstown   filly trained by Rohan Crichton is twice graded stakes-placed at Gulfstream Park, finishing third in both the Dec. 12 Rampart Stakes (G3) and Feb. 20 Royal Delta Stakes (G3), the latter won by Queen Nekia. 

Last fall's George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) winner Miss Marissa , owned by Cammarota Racing, makes her first start since Jan. 17 when she was caught late to finish second beaten less than a length in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack. James Ryerson trains the 4-year-old daughter of He's Had Enough .

Entries: Obeah S.

Delaware Park, Wednesday, June 09, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Shyza (KY)	Mychel J. Sanchez	119	John C. Servis	20/1
2	2Crystal Ball (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Rodolphe Brisset	5/1
3	3Bajan Girl (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	119	Rohan Crichton	6/1
4	4Promised Storm (PA)	Luis M. Ocasio	119	Regina Brennan	20/1
5	5Jilted Bride (FL)	Jaime Rodriguez	123	Steven M. Asmussen	12/1
6	6Trolley Ride (PA)	Inoel Beato	121	T. Bernard Houghton	20/1
7	7Sweet Sami D (KY)	Paco Lopez	119	Patrick B. McBurney	20/1
8	8Miss Marissa (KY)	Daniel Centeno	119	James T. Ryerson	8/1
9	9Queen Nekia (FL)	J.C. Diaz, Jr.	123	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	7/2
10	10Dream Marie (KY)	Joe Bravo	119	Matthew J. Williams	15/1
11	11Market Rumor (KY)	Chris Landeros	119	Ian R. Wilkes	20/1
12	12Graceful Princess (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	119	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
13	13Lucky Stride (KY)	Julian Pimentel	123	Michael J. Trombetta	15/1
14	14Artful Splatter (MD)	Carol Cedeno	119	Kieron Magee	15/1