Harvey's Lil Goil holds off favored Crystal Cliffs to win Regret

Harvey Clarke’s homebred Harvey’s Lil Goil was able to hold off the late surge of favored Crystal Cliffs to win Saturday’s 51st running of the $100,000 Regret Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Martin Garcia, Harvey’s Lil Goil covered the 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:47.70. In the early stages of the race, 17-1 longshot Eve of War took command of the field of 13 three-year-old fillies through opening fractions of :23.26 and :47.48. Harvey’s Lil Goil tracked just off the pace of Eve of War on the outside of In Good Spirits. Harvey’s Lil Goil took control of the lead at the head of the stretch following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.80 but had to fend off the late charge of 6-5 favorite Crystal Cliffs. Just outside of the sixteenth-pole, Crystal Cliffs, under John Velazquez, dove to the inside rail past the tiring Eve of War but just missed getting to Harvey’s Lil Goil by a head at the wire.

“I thought we were in a little bit of trouble when Johnny dove to the rail,” Mott’s assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy said. “However, when she got to her late in the stretch, she was able to fight back.”

Harvey’s Lil Goil rewarded her backers with payouts of $24.20, $7.60 and $5.40. Crystal Cliffs returned $3.20 and $3 and In Good Spirits paid $6.20. With her victory in the Regret, Harvey’s Lil Goil boosted her career earnings to $154,529. The homebred-daughter of American Pharoah sports an overall record of 5-3-0-0. Pass the Plate, Dominga, Stunning Sky, Hendy Woods, Micheline, Eve of War, Wexx, Edgee Angel, Witez and His Glory completed the order of finish.