Piece of My Heart Gets First Stakes Win in Gardenia
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Photo: Coady Photography
Piece of My Heart takes the Gardenia Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Wolfe Racing and Hugh Robertson's Piece of My Heart scored a mild upset in the $80,000 Gardenia Stakes on May 1, leading from start to finish in the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park.
The Flat Out filly, trained by McLean Roberston, came into the race off an April 10 win in a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at the Arkansas track, but the Gardenia was her first stakes.
Off at odds of 8-1, Piece of My Heart set fractions of :23.02, :46.03, and 1:10.78 through six furlongs under jockey Joe Talamo. She was pressed the entire way by longshot His Glory, while Chandelier Stakes (G1) runner-up Comical and the favored Antoinette stalked the pace. As the field entered the turn for home, Daphne Moon made an eye-catching move from the back of the pack, and His Glory began to falter.
Antoinette looked poised to catch the leader as the field rounded the turn, but as Daphne Moon, Gingham, Antoinette, and Comical lined up four wide to give chase heading into the stretch, Piece of My Heart did not relent and drew clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Comical. The final time for the distance was 1:43.28 on a fast track.
The winner returned $19.20, $8.60, and $4.60. Comical paid $7.60 and $4.20 to place. Antoinette rounded out the trifecta, returning $3 to show.
Piece of My Heart brought her record to 3-2-1 from eight starts, and her earnings improved to $135,750.
Bred in Florida by Hidden Point Farm, she is the third winner from three foals to race and the first stakes winner for her dam, the unraced Sunriver mare Intheriver.