Horse Profile: Heavens Gate

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

Ballydoyle’s second contender fulfills a lot of criteria with her tactical speed from the gate and rock-solid consistency. The question is that Heavens Gate appears to have plateaued, and it’s uncertain if she has much scope to progress beyond what she’s shown so far. That’s plenty enough to put her squarely in the frame, but she’d need to find more to upstage Lake Victoria or another upwardly-mobile rival. 

Bred by the O’Brien family’s Whisperview Trading, Heavens Gate is by Churchill and from the all-star tribe of Height of Fashion. She’s out of a Danzig half-sister to classic-winning miler Ghanaati, to mention just one of her maternal relatives.

Heavens Gate displayed a few of her salient characteristics in her Navan debut at five furlongs: she broke like a shot on the far side rail and showed lots of speed, only to get worn down by a half-length on yielding. At the Curragh on Irish 1000 Guineas Day, Heavens Gate rolled on the step up to six furlongs. She was always in the vanguard before skipping clear of debuting stablemate January, who’s gone on to better things (see Anshoda). 

An 8-1 shot in Royal Ascot’s Albany (G3), Heavens Gate was in front a long way but couldn’t quite hold on. Odds-on stablemate Fairy Godmother extricated herself from dodgy positions to get up in one of the season’s most spectacular wins. Simmering also kept on to relegate Heavens Gate to third. 

Heavens Gate was third again in the Duchess of Cambridge (G2), this time as the favorite. Once more showing speed but not hanging on, she was outfinished by maiden-breaking Arabian Dusk and Mountain Breeze.

Dropping down from Pattern company for the Ballyhane, a lucrative race with auction conditions, Heavens Gate used her class edge to prevail at a soggy Naas. The odds-on favorite fended off a sustained pace challenge and comfortably held the rallying Fiery Lucy.

That made her the favorite back up in grade for the Lowther (G2) at York, but Heavens Gate tired to fourth after racing in her typically forward style. Possibly the 17-day turnaround from Naas was a bit quick. Note that Lowther winner Celandine was herself under serious Breeders’ Cup consideration, as a pre-entry in both the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf Sprint.

A refreshed Heavens Gate was back in business in the Sept. 29 Weld Park (G3) at the Curragh. Nestled off the pace in her first try at seven furlongs, she had the gears to weave into the clear. Fiery Lucy posed a late threat once she at last had a seam, but Heavens Gate kept her neck in front. 

O’Brien was already thinking Breeders’ Cup in the postrace quotes. Heavens Gate ought to get the mile in Del Mar’s conditions, and the ever-genuine filly promises to run her race.