Heart to Heart All the Way at Gulfstream
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Heart to Heart and Julien Leparoux take the Canadian Turf.
Canadian champion Heart to Heart grabbed the early lead as expected in the Canadian Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) and never relinquished command to win from last year's victor Long On Value and good-closing Divisidero Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park.
A 5-year-old son of U.S. champion turf male and Calumet Farm sire English Channel , Terry Hamiton's Heart to Heart won by 2 1/2 lengths and covered one mile on firm turf in 1:33.52 with Julien Leparoux aboard for trainer Brian Lynch. The victory was the third straight for the bay horse, who came in off front-running wins in the Ft. Lauderdale (gr. IIT) Jan. 9 at Gulfstream last time out and the River City Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. The Canadian Turf marked the ninth win overall from 20 career starts for Canada's champion 3-year-old of 2014.
Chased by Avanzare and Long On Value, Heart to Heart clipped off early fractions of :23.86 and :48.01 through a half-mile, while Divisidero settled at the back of the field in his first start since July. Six furlongs went in 1:11.45 and Heart to Heart entered the stretch full of run. He lengthened stride to get the comfortable win as Long On Value vainly pursued and just held back Divisidero, who flew down the outside for third, a neck back
"He was very comfortable and relaxed down the backstretch," Leparoux said of Heart to Heart. "I was very confident (turning for home). He handles the sharp turns really well and just started galloping easy."
Heart to Heart paid $3.80, $2.80, and $2.40, Long On Value returnded $4.40 and $3.20, and Divisidero, in his first start since last July, paid $3.20 to show.
The horse has come into himself as a 5-year-old, he's gotten bigger and stronger," Lynch said of the winner. "We're looking for big things for him this year and we'll go to the Maker's Mark Mile (gr. IT, April 15) at Keeneland next."
Bred in Kentucky Ontario by Red Hawk Ranch, Heart to Heart is out of the winning Silver Deputy mare Ask the Question. Via agent Alastair Roden, Hamilton purchased him for $25,348 at the 2012 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division)'s Canadian-bred yearling sale, where is breeder consigned through Ballycroy Training Centre, agent.
Avanzare finished fourth, followed by Fredericksburg, Passion for Action, Quality Bird, and Notacatbutallama to complete the order of finish.