Majestic Harbor Edges Eagle in Mineshaft

Grade I winner Majestic Harbor held off Eagle in the long Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots stretch to snap a seven-race losing streak and earn his first stakes win since 2014 Feb. 20 in the $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III).

Sent off at 6-1, the longest shot in the field of four, Majestic Harbor bounced back from a fifth-place finish in his 8-year-old season debut in the Louisiana Stakes Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds where the son of Rockport Harbor was bumped hard near the three-sixteenths pole after leading early. He would lead at every call Saturday and held off stakes winner Eagle to win by a head.

After that rough previous start, Majestic Harbor came back with a pair of nice works for trainer Paul McGeee, including a five-furlong breeze in a bullet 1:01 1/5 Feb. 5 at Fair Grounds.

"With as bad of a trip as he had last time, I was worried, but he breezed so well out of that race," McGee said. "He's been touting himself the last couple weeks, so we figured we would come back in this race."

Gallant Stable's Majestic Harbor earned his first win since scoring back to back allowance level wins at Keeneland and Churchill Downs in April 2015. While Majestic Harbor raced well enough to close out 2015 with four straight stakes placings, including three straight placings in graded stakes, Saturday's win marked his first stakes victory since taking the 2014 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (gr. I) by 6 1/4 lengths.

Majestic Harbor and Corey Lanerie led the field through a half-mile in :48.09 and six furlongs in 1:12.30. Entering the stretch, Eagle and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. angled out for the stretch run while 3-5 favorite International Star, in search of his fifth stakes win at Fair Grounds, tried to find room inside under Miguel Mena.

Eagle, in search of his first graded stakes win, would engage Majestic Harbor at the eighth pole but Majestic Harbor would have just enough to win, completing the 1 1/16-mile test in 1:42.86.

"I figured I was the only speed, but he did break a little slow today and it took him a few strides to get himself together," Lanerie said. "I just let him do his thing. Once he got up front he was comfortable and he get me what he had. He has a great deal of heart and was very gutsy."

Majestic Harbor returned $15 to win and $5.80 to place while Eagle returned $3.20 to place. Because of the short field, there was no show wagering.

Point Piper finished third while International Star lacked late punch and finished fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm, Majestic Harbor is out of the stakes-placed French Deputy mare Champagne Royale. Majestic Harbor is a half brother to grade I winner Danza  . Majestic Harbor was purchased by Sean McCarthy for his current owners for $20,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment of his breeders.