Heart to Heart Heads Maker's 46 Mile

Terry Hamilton's Heart to Heart, winner of three consecutive races and four of his past five, tops a field of nine entered for the $300,000 Maker's 46 Mile (gr. IT) April 15 at Keeneland.

Run on the turf for 4-year-olds and up, the Maker's 46 Mile will go as the ninth race on Friday's 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. EDT post time.

Heart to Heart "likes to play catch me if you can," according to trainer Brian Lynch, and the 5-year-son of English Channel   figures to have company early in his bid for his first grade I win. Heart to Heart and jockey Julien Leparoux will break from post 3. Leparoux has been aboard for the three straight wins, including a 2 1/2-length victory in the Canadian Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

LEWYN: Heart to Heart All the Way at Gulfstream

Also in the field is Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Shining Copper, who has been the pacesetter in his past five starts, all grade I contests going more than a mile. Trained by Chad Brown, Shining Copper was second in the Feb. 6 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (gr. IT) in his most recent start. Paco Lopez will ride from post 7.

Another grade I-placed entrant in the field is Tourist, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

Owned by WinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber, Tourist will make his 2016 debut after finishing eighth in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland. Prior to the Breeders' Cup he finished third, beaten a neck, in the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) there.

Jose Lezcano has the mount on Tourist from post 4.

One filly will challenge the boys in the race, and according to the Keeneland communications department, Miss Temple City is believed to be the first female to contest the Maker's 46 Mile or its predecessor, the Maker's Mark Mile.

Sagamore Farm, Allen Rosenblum and The Club Racing LLC's Miss Temple City will make her first start since finishing second in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) Presented by Lane's End at the Lexington oval in October.

Runner-up in the Appalachian (gr. IIIT) Presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland last spring, Miss Temple City recorded her only off-the-board finish when running fourth in the group I Coronation at Royal Ascot for trainer Graham Motion last June. She will break from post 2 under Drayden Van Dyke.

Completing the field are Conquest Typhoon, Are You Kidding Me, Dac, Itsaknockout, and Reload.