International Horse Profile: Havana Anna

Scouting Report for Havana Anna

Donnacha O’Brien might have the one to upstage father Aidan, with the fascinating Havana Anna. Runner-up to the elder O’Brien’s vaunted True Love in the six-furlong Cheveley Park (G1) last out, Havana Anna is a five-furlong specialist who should be in her element at Del Mar.

The daughter of the prolific young sire Havana Grey debuted in the same Navan maiden that featured Gstaad and True Love. Havana Anna, on hold in midpack early, appeared green as she angled around a rival and had to recompose herself to rally. She couldn’t keep pace with the principals as they raced uphill to the finish, but there was no demerit in placing third to a pair of next-out Royal Ascot winners. 

Havana Anna was favored in a Cork maiden, where she did improve, only to be outdueled by a very promising debutante in Suzie Songs. As a handy type, the stalking Havana Anna quickened a bit better when the pace first lifted, but the bigger Suzie Songs was stronger as they pulled away from the rest. Havana Anna was subdued by a neck in the final strides of the six-furlong affair. Once again, she hooked a future Group winner in a maiden: Suzie Songs beat colts next time in the Anglesey (G3). 

Her own breakthrough came when cutting back to five furlongs for the first time at Naas. Easily tracking the leader, Havana Anna scampered six lengths clear despite cocking her head to the right. It was a race that she was entitled to win as the heavy odds-on favorite. 

Favored back over the same track in the Marwell S., but on worse (yielding) going, Havana Anna worked out a similar trip and won for fun by 3 1/2 lengths. Her sightseeing head carriage apparently didn’t slow her down. 

Marwell runner-up Ipanema Queen, at one stage a Breeders’ Cup candidate herself, has since beaten colts in the Curragh S. and Legacy S. Ipanema Queen wasn’t beaten far by Mission Central in the Round Tower (G3), where she was in the hunt until tiring in the sixth furlong. Marwell fourth Lam Yai has done better going up a furlong, just missing in the Firth of Clyde (G3) and winning the Doncaster S. 

Havana Anna nearly made it a hat trick in the Prix d’Arenberg (G3) on very soft going at ParisLongchamp. A bit further back than usual in the opening stages, she worked her way into a contending position, grabbed the lead, then just got nipped by the classy colt Afjan. 

Once a Breeders’ Cup prospect himself, Afjan was pitched in versus older horses in the Prix de l’Abbaye (G1) on Arc Day and finished a decent eighth of 17 to Asfoora. He wasn’t helped by drawing post 10 on a course that favors the inside, and he produced the best result of anyone breaking from a double-figure gate. 

Havana Anna distinguished herself in defeat, even more so in the Cheveley Park, where the quickest ground she’s had so far might have helped her. Launching from a good stalking spot, she was shadowed by the more imposing figure of True Love, but Havana Anna proved a bit tougher to crack. Only up the rising ground, at the end of Newmarket’s six furlongs, did True Love put her away. 

The change of venue to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, and reverting to five furlongs, should suit the scrappy Havana Anna.