Harp N Halo, with Luis Contreras up, won a three-way stretch battle with Silent Treat and favoured Stellar Path to emerge the winner of the featured $104,000 Avowal Stakes, Monday at Woodbine.
The Labour Day stake, at seven furlongs on the grass for fillies and mares, had only five starters, but three of them were separated by just a half-length at the wire.
Harp N Halo, Silent Treat and Zensational Bunny locked horns from the outset, blistering through early fractions of :22.25 and :44.64 over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course. Meanwhile, the even money choice Stellar Path was sitting a perfect stalking position in fourth as the leaders came off the far turn.
Coming into the stretch, Silent Treat appeared to edge slightly to the front, with Stellar Path looking for all the world like she was ready to gobble up the leaders. But down on the inside, Harp N Halo refused to yield and came on again for the neck score in 1:21.82. Silent Treat finished a half-length in front of Stellar Path for second.
Trained by John Terranova for owner Curragh Stables, Harp N Halo, an Adena Springs Kentucky-bred four-year-old daughter of Singing Saint-Rich N Clever, came into the Avowal on an unofficial four-race win streak this year, although disqualified and placed second in one of them at Tampa Day Downs.
“My filly broke really, really sharp,” said Contreras. “I wanted to be behind the speed. But she was really game early. She’s so comfortable, she’s so confident.”
Added Michael Devlin, owner of Curragh Stables, “She is all about big heart. Loves to win, never quits on us. We’re very proud to have her in the stable. We’re primarily home-based in New York, so we’re not too far away. We keep an eye on things up here (at Woodbine). Our trainer saw this race and we thought we’d give it a shot. We were here about five years ago with a horse named Cat Sweep but didn’t quite do as well as we did today.”
Harp N Halo, sent off as the 6-1 third choice, earned $60,000 for the victory and paid $14.30 and $4.10 (there was no show wagering), combining with Silent Treat ($3.20) for a $38.40 (3-4) exactor. A 3-4-5 (Stellar Path) triactor was worth $66.50.
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