Horse of the Year Havre de Grace Dies at 16

Havre de Grace, the 2011 Horse of the Year and champion older mare, died April 30 at Timber Town Stables in Lexington. Her death was a result of multiple hemorrhaging episodes after producing a colt two days earlier. 

Wayne Sweezey, Timber Town's farm manager, said Havre de Grace had given birth to an Into Mischief   colt April 28 and began to hemorrhage. 

"She had problems foaling before. ... I'm sure that put a lot of stress on her body," Sweezey said. 

"She looked as good as she's ever looked going into this foaling season. Her coat, her weight, everything was perfect."

The initial hemorrhaging episode occurred after delivering the foal. A second occurrence happened the evening of April 29 and then, after making it through the night, a third and final episode happened early Sunday morning. 

"She fought the good fight now; not many mares will fight like that," Sweezey said. 

For as tough as she was on the track, Havre de Grace showed a much gentler side with her offspring.

"That was why we did not want to take the baby off her," Sweezey said. "Because she was happy to have a foal at her side."

He added, "She had a completely different personality."

Initially bought at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $380,000 by the late Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm out of the Mill Ridge Sales consignment, Havre de Grace then exited the sales ring at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale with Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm dropping the hammer at $10 million from the Taylor Made consignment. 

Pope, in Kentucky for the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1), had the chance to say goodbye to Havre de Grace. 

"She came in yesterday afternoon and she's very attached to her horses and obviously Havre de Grace is the first mare that she bought for a lot of money," Sweezey said. "When she decided to go in full bore, Grace was the first one she bought."

The 16-year-old was a daughter of Saint Liam and out of the Carson City mare Easter Bunnette. Bred by Nancy Dillman, Havre de Grace had a stellar career on the track, finishing outside of the top three once in 16 career starts. She had a record of 9-4-2 with three grade 1 wins—including the 2011 Woodward Stakes (G1) against males—and twice participated in the Breeders' Cup. She earned $2,586,175.

She had eight foals, including the one produced Friday. Five are winners with grade 3 winner Graceful Princess , by Tapit  , the most successful. The colt born Friday has been paired with a nurse mare and is doing well. 

Sweezey, who hopes Havre de Grace one day is inducted into the Hall of Fame, said his favorite memory of the Horse of the Year is her arrival at Timber Town. 

"The memory is her arriving in buddying up with Plum Pretty," he recalled. "And looking on that pasture next to the house and seeing those two magnificent racemares side by side. I mean, I'll never ever forget all that because it was as important event in our lifetime as any momentous thing that happens in your business life."