Rockport Harbor on a roll with 16th winner

Rockport Harbor added another winner on Sunday when Sacred Class rolled to an astonishing eleven and one-quarter length victory in the slop at Calder Race Course.  Delighting the crowd, Sacred Class lingered nearly last until jockey Jose Rivera let her loose, when she made a huge four-wide rally around the turn and exploded down the stretch to put an ever-increasing distance between herself and her rivals in the one mile and one-sixteenth maiden event.

Sacred Class, owned by Golden Age Stable and trained by Fred Warren, was bred in Florida by Becky Thomas and Milan Kosanovich from the Hennessy mare Queen Evelyn, who is a half-sister to Graded Stakes-winning sire Belong to Me. Queen Evelyn hails from the family of Eight Belles, who, like Rockport Harbor, was sired by Unbridled’s Song. Sacred Class is her third winner from as many starters.  

Among the 15 other winners that Rockport Harbor has sired in his first crop are Stakes winners Bear’s Future and May Day Rose, in addition to G3-placed Minutesandtouches. Rockport Harbor nearly added number 17 a half hour later at Churchill Downs. Houston Harbor made an impressive debut by surviving tight quarters, then drove strongly down the lane to finish a solid second to a rival with a better trip.