James Ben Ali Haggin | Horse Racing Free Tips

Keeneland Trustee Louis Lee Haggin III Dies

Louis Lee Haggin III, hailing from an illustrious racing family and a longtime fixture at Keeneland, died Mar. 5, according to Keeneland Tuesday. He was 88.

A lifelong Thoroughbred owner and breeder, Haggin III managed his family's Sycamore Farm. A great, great grandson of legendary horseman James Ben Ali Haggin, who was also the founder of Elmendorf Farm, Haggin III's grandfather, Hal Price Headley, was among the founders of Keeneland. His father, Louis Lee Haggin II, served as the track's second president and subsequently its chairman.

“Keeneland mourns the loss of Louis Lee Haggin III, a beloved figure in Thoroughbred racing and breeding and a pivotal member of the Keeneland family. Mr. Haggin, who served as both a Director and Keeneland's longest-serving Trustee, leaves a legacy of leadership and service to Keeneland, the horse industry and the Central Kentucky community,” read a statement from Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “Mr. Haggin's roots at Keeneland run deep. He followed his father, former Keeneland President and Chairman Louis Lee Haggin II, in his commitment to preserve the best of Keeneland's rich traditions. From his mother, Alma Headley Haggin, daughter of Keeneland co-founder and inaugural President Hal Price Headley, who is credited with developing the “Keeneland look,” Mr. Haggin developed a love of the land and showcasing its beauty. He spent countless hours walking the grounds with esteemed landscape architects George Betsill and Robert Sanders and worked throughout his life to continue his mother's legacy at Keeneland. We do not make a decision about touching a branch of a tree on our grounds without thinking about Mr. Haggin and whether he would approve.

“He joined the Keeneland Board in 1971 and served as a Keeneland Trustee from 1980 until his retirement in 2015. Mr. Haggin was truly devoted to Keeneland and had a special love for this institution. He was a dear friend to Keeneland and to me, and we will miss his presence and guidance.

“Keeneland extends our love and deepest condolences to Mrs. Haggin, Louis, Ben, Gay and the entire Haggin family.”

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Long Weekend, Keeneland’s Haggin Turf Course Hosts A Trio Of Graded Races

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue.

According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course.

Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving as board chairman of the Keeneland Association beginning in 1970, he was a decedent of the gold rusher and California stud farm innovator James Ben Ali Haggin.

As for the Keeneland turf course records, they recognized various distances and rail settings, but for the 2016 Fall meet, the inside rail was replaced on the Haggin Course with a portable fence that can be placed a variety of distances to protect the inside portion of the course. So, beginning with the 2017 Spring meet, Keeneland amalgamated records into one set based on distance.

Now that we mowed through a bit of turf history, the Haggin will take center stage starting on Friday, as the Association cards a trio of graded grass races which will headline another weekend of racing action.

On Friday at Keeneland, a key distance test will be renewed when turf specialists contest the GIII Sycamore S. going 12 furlongs. Grizzled veterans like GISW Red Knight (Pure Prize) and MGISW Channel Maker (English Channel) are present, but so are up and comers like MGSP Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) and GSP Red Run (Gun Runner). Add in Godolphin homebred Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who is group stakes placed in England and France for trainer Charlie Appleby, and this should set up as quite a late scramble.

Lindy | Coady Photography

Heading to Saturday in the Bluegrass, it is the annual invitation-only GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. for 3-year-old fillies. The nine-furlong run over the Haggin includes several invaders with European form. Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}) made her U.S. debut a good one when she captured the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational Aug. 4 after running second in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary S. at ParisLongchamp May 14 and when she was fifth behind G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines heroine Blue Rose Cen (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de Diane S. June 18 at Chantilly.

Shifting from Jean-Philippe Dubois to Arnaud Delacour, the bay filly will face another who recently changed yards in Lindy (Fr) (Le Harve {Ire}). She made the switch from Christophe Ferland to Brendan Walsh over the summer after finishing second in the G1 French 1000 Guineas S. to Blue Rose Cen and then a well-beaten eighth in the Prix de Diane. Under Walsh, she successfully shipped into Kentucky Downs and won an optional claimer at a short price going a mile.

Other imports into this field include Sounds of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who was third at the Royal Meeting in the G1 Coronation S. for Jessica Harrington, French stakes winner for Jean-Claude Roget Elounda Queen (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and finally, Mawj (Ire), who was last seen winning the G1 1000 Guineas S. at Newmarket May 7 for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Incidently, this will be bin Suroor's first trip to Keeneland since 2014.

“You have to send the right horse to run here,” bin Suroor said. “This is the right place for her. This was the plan to come here and then go to the Breeders' Cup. Either the [GI Breeders' Cup] Mile or the [GI Breeders' Cup] Filly & Mare Turf. I want to see how she runs here and then on to L.A. Mawj had a little chest infection before Ascot [in the summer] and she had a break,” bin Suroor said of the five months between starts.

As for the American contingent, Chad Brown will be well-represented with pair of entries in GSW Liguria (War Front) and GISP Prerequisite (Upstart). Brown has won four of the last five editions of this race.

Finally, on Sunday it will be time to go sprinting at Keeneland when the GII Franklin S. goes off at five and a half furlongs for older females. MGISW Caravel (Mizzen Mast) returns to her favorite course, the site of her upset win last fall in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, as she attempts to repeat in the Franklin S. for trainer Brad Cox. The accomplished 6-year-old, who will be offered at the Keeneland November Sale, will once again face GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victoress Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}). The 4-year-old bay filly is looking to get back on track for Wesley Ward after an unsuccessful trip to Del Mar July 28 in the Daiseycutter S. Also of note is the presence of GII Ladies Turf Sprint winner Bay Storm (Kantharos), who had her own way at Kentucky Downs, and the untested Godolphin homebred from England for Charlie Appleby, Star Guest (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Eternal Hope | Chelsea Durand

The stakes docket is not restricted to just Central Kentucky as both Aqueduct and Woodbine host their own graded races on Saturday.

With rain in the forecast later in the day and Sunday's GIII Knickerbocker S. moved to next week as a consequence, we will get to see the GII Sands Point S. early on the Belmont at the Big A card. Out of 10 entrants and three also-eligibles, Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) will get another crack at Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who bested her by only a neck in the Sept. 16 GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational.

Joining the fray are a pair of alums who ran second and third in last month's Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs. Jeff Drown's Root Cause (Into Mischief) and Don Alberto homebred Alpha Bella (Justify) have proved they can handle nine furlongs as they look to win their first graded race.

Ranging up the Canada, Woodbine has a pair of Grade IIIs scheduled over their Tapeta on Saturday when SW Mouffy (Uncle Mo) takes on MGSW Souper Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo) in the Ontario Matron S. and GSW Loyalty (Hard Spun) battles MGSW Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper) in the Ontario Fashion S.

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Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be Held August 5

The National Museum of Racing will induct the 2022 Hall of Fame class Friday, Aug. 5 at Fasig-Tipton. The event is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. Tom Durkin will serve as the master of ceremonies. The event is open to the public and free to attend. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on the Museum website at racingmuseum.org. A stellar class of inductees comprises the 2022 ceremony, namely four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder (Henny Hughes); Hillsdale (Take Away), who is also the first Indiana-bred in the Hall of Fame; 1984 Eclipse Turf Female Champion Royal Heroine (Ire); and G1 Queen Anne S. conqueror, two-time Eclipse Award winner Tepin (Bernstein). Trainer Oscar White is the sole human inductee along with Pillars of the Turf James Cox Brady, Marshall Cassidy, and James Ben Ali Haggin.

Several current Hall of Famers will take part in a special autograph signing at the Museum on Saturday, Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The following members are scheduled to participate (subject to change): Braulio Baeza, Mark Casse, Ramon Dominguez, Janet Elliot, Earlie Fires, Sandy Hawley, Richard Mandella, Jose Santos, Gary Stevens, and Nick Zito. For $25, fans will receive a commemorative 2022 Hall of Fame induction weekend poster for the members to sign. There will only be 100 posters for this event and they are available on a first-come, first served basis. Admission to the Museum will be free from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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2022 HOF Class Headed by Beholder, Tepin

Eight new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, including Eclipse Award winners Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Tepin (Bernstein) in the contemporary category, both chosen in their first year of eligibility. The other members of the class of 2022 are divisional stalwarts Hillsdale (Take Away) and Royal Heroine (Ire) (Lypheor {GB}) and, via the Historic Review Committee, Classic-winning trainer Oscar White.

Among the Pillars of the Turf, owner/breeding/official James Cox Brady, track announcer and official Marshall Cassidy and renowned owner/breeder James Ben Ali Haggin will also be honored.

The new inductees will be honored 10:30a.m. Friday, Aug. 5 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Museum website at www.racingmuseum.org. The event is open to the public and free to attend.

Beholder, a winner of three Breeders' Cup races for trainer Richard Mandella, earned four Eclipse title–2-year-old (2012), 3-year-old (2013) and Older Female (2015-16). The winner off 11 Grade Is, the Spendthrift Farm runner retired with 18 wins from 26 lifetimes starts and earnings of $6,156,600.

The Eclipse earning turf mare in 2015 and 2016, Robert Masterson's Tepin won 11 graded/group races, including winning efforts facing males in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot and the GI Woodbine Mile. The winner of 13 races from 23 starts, the Mark Casse trainer retired with over $4.4 million in earnings.

Indiana-bred Hillsdale enjoyed his best season at four in 1959, winning 10 of 13 starts, including the San Carlos S., San Fernanado S., Californian, Hollywood Gold Cup and American H. A winner of 16 stakes at 11 different tracks, the Martin Fallon Jr. trainee retired with in excess of $600,000 in earnings (ranking him in 13th all-time at that time).

Campaigned by Robert Sangster in the U.S., England and France, Royal Heroine won 10 (eight stakes) of 21 career starts for earnings over $1.2 million. Among her chief victories in Europe for Sir Michael Stoute are the Prix de l'Opera at the Princess Margaret S. at Royal Ascot. In the U.S., she added wins in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, GI Hollywood Derby, and GI Matriarch S. while under the care of John Gosden.

Representing the human inductees, Oliver White, who trained exclusively for the Jeffords family, won 706 races, including 104 stakes. Included among his top runners, Horse of the Year One Count, Ch. 2-year-old and Classic winner Pavot and Ch. 3-year-old Filly Kiss Me Kate.

Chairman of NYRA for eight years during the 60s, James Cox Brady also enjoyed success as an owner, campaigning the likes of champion War Plumage and graded stakes winners Casemate, Secret Meeting, Landlocked and Artismo. From 1938 through 1970, Brady's horses won 234 races with earnings on over $2 million. He also served as a steward and vice chairman of The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Association. Additionally, he was one of the original directors of NYRA and a founding director of the Monmouth Park Jockey Club.

An exercise rider of flat and steeplechasers in his youth, Marshall Cassidy is credited with devising the modern stall-style starting gate, improving the photo-finish camera system, inventing the electric timer and introducing saliva testing and pre-race veterinary exams. He also served as director of racing for NYRA from 1963 through 1968 in addition to a position as executive secretary of The Jockey Club.

Attorney and rancher James Ben Ali Haggin made his fortune investing in mining, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the country at the time. Establishing a breeding center on Rancho del Paso near Sacramento in 1873, he was responsible for Hall of Famers Firenze and Salvator. Establishing a stable in the east in the mid 1880s and later purchasing Elmendorf Farm in Kentucky in 1897, Haggin also campaigned Classic winners Ben Ali and Tyrant. He is also credited with the purchase of Hall of Famer Miss Woodford, in addition to having bred top horses including Africander, Sir Walter, Tournament, Waterboy and Tradition.

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