Heart to Heart Heads PTHA President's Cup

Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT) winner Heart to Heart heads this year's edition of the $200,000 PTHA President's Cup Stakes at Parx Racing on Sept. 12, joined by Divine Oath and last year's winner, Margano. 

Heart to Heart, a 4-year-old son of English Channel   who is three times a grade III winner for Terry Hamilton and trainer Brian Lynch, comes off that Aug. 2 victory in wire-to-wire fashion going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park. 

The 1 1/8-mile President's Cup will be the first return to that distance for Heart to Heart since a third in the 2014 Toronto Cup at Woodbine, and only his third attempt at going as far. The Ontario-bred was fourth in his first 1 1/8-mile attempt back in 2013 on the all-weather track at Woodbine in the Coronation Futurity.

Manuel Franco, Heart to Heart's fifth different rider in as many starts, gets the mount from post 4 on the 124-pound highweight, who is the morning-line favorite at odds of 5-2. All others carry 119.

Divine Oath drops down here from a ninth in the July 5 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) for Let's Go Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher, and will be making his first outing for West Point Thoroughbreds and Robert Masiello and trainer Graham Motion.

The 4-year-old Broken Vow   colt, a three-time grade III winner, was a $270,000 purchase by his new owners this year from the Fasig-Tipton summer selected horses of racing age sale when consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Frankie Pennington rides from post 5.

Margano, Lael Stables' full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Barbaro, took this race in 2014 by a nose. But the 6-year-old Dynaformer gelding has not won in five starts for trainer Arnaud Delacour since then.