Heart to Heart Seeks Grade 1 Glory in Maker's 46 Mile

The in-race strategy for Heart to Heart is as distinct as the marking on his forehead that inspired his endearing moniker. 

There is no middle ground where the son of English Channel   is concerned. Once he leaves the starting gate, the 6-year-old bay is going to the front come hell or high water. Press him at your own risk, or let him go and suffer the consequences. 

It's a style that has yielded Terry Hamilton's runner 12 wins, eight of which came in graded stakes company. After four seasons of being one of the most revered members of trainer Brian Lynch's shedrow, his connections hope the $300,000 Maker's 46 Mile (G1T) at Keeneland April 14 will be the day their charge's all-or-nothing approach lands him the top-level accolades he has routinely flirted with.

"He's been such a great little horse to me, you always hope you can do something with them when they're retired from training—and he'll be around for a few years because, touch wood, he's such a sound little horse," Lynch said. "But if he could knock out a grade 1 in a prestigious race like the Maker's (46 Mile), someone will stand him as a stallion."

Heart to Heart will try and lead a field of 12 at every point of call Friday in an attempt to better his runner-up in this spot one year ago. 

A fan favorite for his looks, Heart to Heart long won over his human companions with his athletic ability that has progressed each passing year. Beginning with his first graded score in 2014 Jefferson Cup Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs, Heart to Heart has been first or second in 11 of his last 17 starts and has only been worse that fourth twice in that span.

A year ago, he fell 1 1/4 lengths short of top filly Miss Temple City in the Maker's 46 Mile, but finished ahead of eventual Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) hero Tourist  . As was the case last season, he comes into the eight-furlong test off a victory in the March 4 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, and Lynch is confident the current version of Heart to Heart is the best he has ever brought to the grade 1 table.

"He was always sort of a light-framed horse as a 3- and 4-year-old. But as a 5-year-old, he really started to thicken up, and he's a lot more powerful now than he ever was," Lynch said. "He seems as happy and into his training as I've ever seen him. It would be lovely to get a grade 1 for him.

"He got very close to it last year here and he came out of the same race in the same form that he did last year. I love the spacing, but he's going to have some speed come with him because (grade 1 winner) What a View is coming from California. That is always a bit of a consequence that you don't want to get involved in. But he's doing so well right now, maybe it's the right time to take them on."

If Friday is Heart to Heart's time, he will have earned it against proven company.

What a View brings his early speed and back class from California, having most recently run second in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T)—a race he captured in 2016. The Kenneth Black trainee was eighth in last October's Shadwell Turf Mile (G1T) in his only prior start at Keeneland and is seeking to snap a six-race losing skid that has piled up since his victory in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park last April.

Another California invader, Conquest Enforcer, also has front-running ability, something he flaunted during his gate-to-wire win in the Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita last December. The son of Into Mischief   was fifth in the Kilroe Mile and will break from post 5 in the 12-horse lineup.

Graded stakes winner Bolo finished third, 1 1/2 lengths in back of a What a View, in the Kilroe in his most recent start and will break from post 2 under Mike Smith.

In addition to drawing post 9, outside of the other early speed, Lynch believes the advantage Heart to Heart has is his ability to run the turns and buy himself an in-race breather.

"He sort of creeps away from them, and they don't realize he's creeping away from them, and when they straighten up for the run down the backside or the run down the lane, he's stolen a few lengths off of them," Lynch said. "The worst scenario in this race is that he has speed that can hamper him. The ideal scenario is that he draws outside the California shippers instead of being pressured. Fingers crossed, he is doing well. If he's sitting on a big race, this is it."

Maker's 46 Mile S. (G1T)

Keeneland, Friday, April 14, 2017, Race 9

• 1m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Blacktype (FR)	Joel Rosario	118	Christophe Clement	6/1
2	2What a View (CA)	Tyler Baze	118	Kenneth D. Black	5/1
3	3American Patriot (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Todd A. Pletcher	20/1
4	4Bolo (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Carla Gaines	5/1
5	5Conquest Enforcer (ON)	Paco Lopez	120	Jeffrey A. Radosevich	12/1
6	6Conquest Panthera (KY)	Robby Albarado	118	Mark E. Casse	15/1
7	7Calculator (FL)	Florent Geroux	118	Peter Miller	10/1
8	8Inspector Lynley (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Claude R. McGaughey III	8/1
9	9Heart to Heart (ON)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Brian A. Lynch	3/1
10	10Ballagh Rocks (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	William I. Mott	20/1
11	11Western Reserve (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Brad H. Cox	15/1
12	12Bondurant (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Ian R. Wilkes	10/1