Tobys Heart 'Much the Best' in Bolton Landing
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Tobys Heart takes the Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Tobys Heart ran to her odds in the $85,000 Bolton Landing Stakes for 2-year-old fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf Aug. 19 at Saratoga Race Course. The victory gave second-crop sire Jack Milton his first black-type winner.
Off at odds of 1-2, the Brian Lynch trainee campaigned by her trainer and co-owner Terry Hamilton raced in midpack early as Joy's Rocket posted a quarter-mile in :22.21. As the field of eight entered the turn, Tobys Heart made a sweeping move while racing five wide as a half-mile went in :45.41.
Ridden hard by Jose Ortiz, Tobys Heart was relentless as a wall of horses advanced on the leader at the top of the stretch, but she ultimately prevailed as the others couldn't keep pace. She passed the leader in late stretch to score by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:02.31 on good turf.
"She broke (slow) and was pulling me a little bit early," Ortiz said. "I got her to relax before we went into the turn. When I tapped on her shoulder approaching the quarter pole, she was there for me the whole time.
"She relaxed well for a short period of an eighth of a mile. After an eighth-mile, she gave me her head and I was able to do whatever I wanted. I was very comfortable. At the three-eighths pole when I was ready to move, she was there for me. She was much the best today."
Joy's Rocket, trained by Steve Asmussen, held for second, and Wesley Ward trainee Amanzi Yimpilo finished third. Tobys Heart, now 2-for-2 after scoring on debut June 4 at Churchill Downs, returned $3.10 to win.
Bred in Kentucky by Trackside Farms, Tobys Heart is also the first stakes winner for the Lil's Lad mare Pick of the Pack. In her debut in Louisville, Tobys Heart also started slow and closed in the last half-mile, rallying to win by 6 3/4 lengths while racing the same distance on firm turf.
"I tried to ride her pretty much like she ran first time out. She broke a bit slow that day and she didn't break any faster today. She broke a little slow out of the gate, but I think it's OK for her. She's a come-from-behind sprinter," Ortiz said.
Jack Milton was a grade 1-winning turf miler himself. He also scored on debut but at 1 1/16 miles. Jack Milton did not compete as a juvenile, and although he placed third in two grade 1 events at 3, he was more productive the following year. The 10-year-old son of War Front won three graded stakes throughout his career, highlighted by a 2 1/4-length score in the 2015 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T).
Standing at Crestwood Farm in Kentucky, Jack Milton was 24th on the second-crop sires list before the stakes win and has stood for a fee of $6,500 since he was retired to stud in 2016.