Havre de Grace, Plum Pretty deliver first foals

Two of the most eagerly-anticipated foals of 2014 arrived over the weekend, as Horse of the Year Havre de Grace and Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty each produced their first foals.

Plum Pretty delivered a colt by Distorted Humor the night of Feb. 6. Havre de Grace delivered a filly by Tapit shortly after midnight on Feb. 7. Both mares are boarded at Timber Town Farm near Lexington, Ky., for owner Mandy Pope. According to Wayne Sweezey, who owns Timber Town with his wife, Cathy, both foalings went smoothly.

“Both foals were large, and I’m happy to say that they are both beautifully made,” Sweezey said. “The mares foaled without any problems, and [Pope] is over the moon.”

Pope had attempted to be on hand for the births, and was at Timber Town when three of her other mares delivered earlier. However, she missed both high-profile foalings, as she traveled to Florida to watch two-time champion Groupie Doll, who she purchased late last year, conclude her career with a win in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

Havre de Grace, a 7-year-old from the only crop of Saint Liam, earned Horse of the Year honors in 2011, when she became just the second female to win the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes. In all, she won seven stakes, with additional Grade 1 triumphs in the Apple Blossom Handicap and Beldame Stakes. She retired with nine wins from 16 starts for earnings of $2,586,175

Plum Pretty, a 6-year-old Medaglia d'Oro mare, won five of 12 starts, bankrolling $1,688,746. She captured the 2011 Kentucky Oaks, and the following year took the Apple Blossom. She won or placed in seven other stakes.

Pope made a splash in the auction market by landing both mares as broodmare prospects in November 2012. She purchased Havre de Grace for a record $10 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale, and landed Plum Pretty for $4.2 million less than 24 hours later at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Havre de Grace and Plum Pretty are both booked to War Front for 2014. Groupie Doll, who will join the broodmare band at Timber Town shortly, is booked to Tapit for her first mating.