Arlington Park: Havelock nips Country Day in Arlington Sprint

Four-Footed Fotos

Havelock (left), with Jermain Bridgmohan riding, beats Country Day in the Arlington Sprint.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Havelock rallied in the stretch to edge Country Day by a neck in the $100,000 Arlington Sprint Handicap on Saturday at Arlington, giving jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan the narrowest of victories over his brother, Shaun.

"I'd do it again in the next race if I could," 23-year-old Jermaine said when asked how it felt to photo out Shaun, nine years his senior.

Havelock, a 4-year-old gelding, won the first stakes race of his career, while Bridgmohan captured his first Arlington Park stakes. The Silverton Hill Farm of Tommy and Bonnie Hamilton bred and own Havelock, who is by the Hamilton's stallion, Great Notion. Darrin Miller, who trained Great Notion, sent Havelock out to win.

Havelock ($12.40) now has won his last two turf sprints, both at 5 1/2 furlongs, and is 4 for 11 in his career. Saturday, with Birdie Beats Par crossing over from his outside post position to set the pace, Havelock raced in fifth position down the backstretch while staying in the clear a few paths off the fence. The fractions were sensible, 22.27 for the first quarter-mile and 45.27 seconds to the half, but Birdie Beats Par gave way at the top of the stretch to Country Day, who appeared to be on the way to victory at the eighth pole. But Country Day, making his first start since October, tired in the final half-furlong, Shaun Bridgmohan said, as Havelock came steadily on through the homestretch.

"I had a great trip," said Jermaine Bridgmohan, who was winning his second turf sprint on the afternoon.
Longshot Wekiva Wachee finished very fast between horses to get third, with Birdie Beats Par fourth. Winning time for the 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf was 1:02.71.