Tobys Heart Favored for Bolton Landing Score
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Photo: Coady Photography
Tobys Heart wins on debut on the turf at Churchill Downs
Eight 2-year-old fillies will line up to sprint 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf Aug. 19 in the $85,000 Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, and impressive first-out winner Tobys Heart has been dubbed the even-money, morning-line favorite.
Trained by Brian Lynch, who owns the Jack Milton filly in partnership with Terry Hamilton, Tobys Heart won by 6 3/4 lengths in her first start June 4 while navigating the Bolton Landing distance at Churchill Downs.
"She showed me she had some talent prior to it with her works, so it was great to see it produce that sort of performance in her debut," Lynch said. "Her works since have been great, and she seems to be doing really well. We're looking forward to taking the next step here."
Tobys Heart will ship in for her stakes debut. She put in a strong final work in Kentucky Aug. 13, going four furlongs in :48 4/5 over Churchill's main track.
"I think she's up against horses that haven't done much more than her," Lynch said. "It'll be interesting to see. She's been a very exciting filly and has done everything great. We feel she's the real thing, but until you rack them up and turn them loose, you don't know. But she gives me the feeling that she's a nice filly in the making."
A solid performance in the stakes could set up the rest of her 2020 campaign and potentially include added distances, Lynch said.
"I feel good about her when the time comes to stretch her out because she's a very easy filly to train," Lynch said. "She relaxes in the morning in the gallops and she's not too hard on herself. When you drop the clutch on her, you usually get a tone of gas. The 5 1/2 furlongs is a good transition coming out of her last race. The sky is the limit if she takes that next step forward for us."
Jose Ortiz will pick up the mount from Post 6.
Team Hanley's Joy's Rocket is 2-for-2 and will now try turf for the first time for trainer Steve Asmussen. The daughter of Anthony's Cross won her June 28 debut by a nose over a sloppy Churchill main track and then shipped north to win the Aug. 1 My Dear Stakes on the all-weather track at Woodbine.
Ricardo Santana Jr., aboard for her first win, will be aboard again from Post 2.
Trainer Wesley Ward will send out a debut winner in Amanzi Yimpilo, who was a 2 1/2-length victor in a five-furlong turf sprint June 10 at Gulfstream Park. The Irish-bred daughter of No Nay Never has been training at Saratoga since July following her wire-to-wire win.
Amanzi Yimpilo, out of the Galileo mare Honourably, was purchased for $300,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year.
Irad Ortiz Jr. will be in the irons from Post 8.
Ward has entered two others, Sunny Isle Beach and Stylish Rags, as main-track only.
Briannjenn Racing's Hara is the field's most experienced entrant with three starts, including a fourth-place effort in the July 16 Schuylerville (G3) going six furlongs at Saratoga.
After finishing second in her first start in May at Gulfstream, trainer Antonio Sano brought her back the next month at the same track, where she posted a six-length win June 19 in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint.
Luis Saez will ride from the rail.
Saratoga Race Course, Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Race 8Entries: Bolton Landing S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Hara (KY)
Luis Saez
122
Antonio Sano
15/1
2
2Joy's Rocket (FL)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122
Steven M. Asmussen
5/2
3
3Sweet Souper Sweet (FL)
John R. Velazquez
122
Michael J. Trombetta
15/1
4
4Quinoa Tifah (FL)
Joel Rosario
122
Juan Alvarado
12/1
5
5Sassy Hannah (KY)
David Cohen
118
Eduardo Caramori
12/1
6
6Tobys Heart (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Brian A. Lynch
1/1
7
7Sunny Isle Beach (KY)
Rider TBA
120
Wesley A. Ward
12/1
8
8Amanzi Yimpilo (IRE)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Wesley A. Ward
8/1
9
9Mischievous Dream (NY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Christophe Clement
8/1
10
10Stylish Rags (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
Wesley A. Ward
6/1
