Hunt Edges Heart to Heart in Shoemaker Mile
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Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Hunt passes Heart to Heart to win the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita Park
Michael House's Hunt came flying to nail favored Heart to Heart in the shadow of the wire May 28 in the $400,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.
It was the 6-year-old Dark Angel gelding's first start since November, and his first win at the grade 1 level. Trainer Phil D'Amato praised Flavien Prat, who put in a textbook ride as Hunt dialed back to a mile for the first time since last July, and won for the first time at the distance.
"Any time you bring them back from that kind of layoff, you worry they might be a little rusty, but I have to give Flavien a lot of credit," D'Amato said. "He was breezing this horse the last couple of times and really tightened the screws on him. He was pretty confident this horse was going to run a good race off of those workouts, and it showed today."
Joe Talamo and Om set out for the early lead, with 7-5 choice Heart to Heart tracking second in a field of eight under Julien Leparoux. Prat settled Hunt into a rail-skimming fifth off fractions of :23.22 and :46.66, and they were fourth as three-quarters went in 1:10.20. While Heart to Heart went to battle with Om around the far turn and inched ahead in pursuit of his third consecutive grade 1, Prat shifted Hunt out into the stretch from his stalking position and let him pounce.
"He has been training really well, pretty much like he was at Del Mar last summer right before he won two graded stakes," Prat said. "I was expecting a good race but you never really know off a layoff. He was fresh and he got the job done."
With a three-wide charge, Hunt engaged Heart to Heart and put away that game rival in the nick of time to win by a neck. It was another neck back to Next Shares, who came with a powerful rally but just missed.
Hunt completed the mile turf event in 1:34.07, and returned $21.60, $8.40, and $5 at 9-1 odds. Heart to Heart paid $3.40 and $3.20, and Next Shares brought $5.40. The order of finish was completed by Om, Bowies Hero, Colonist, Blackjackcat, and Arms Runner. Pavel was scratched to run in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1), where he finished fourth.
The Shoemaker Mile is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Churchill Downs, and was the first North American series qualifier of 2018 following seven Challenge races in South Africa, Australia, Japan, Argentina, and Chile.
Hunt was stretched to 1 1/2 miles last year in the Nov. 4 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), but finished 13th. He came back to win the Nov. 26 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar before he was given time off. Earlier at the seaside oval, he won the 1 1/8-mile Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) and the 1 3/8-mile Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T).
"I think anywhere between a mile and a mile and a quarter is his wheelhouse," D'Amato said. "I'm lucky I've got a great owner like Mike that lets me do what I want and do right by the horse.
"The time off (six months) did this horse a world of good. We really kind of geared his campaign to focus towards Del Mar where he won three graded stakes last year, so these races were kind of preps leading up to the Del Mar meet (that starts July 18). We won the Eddie Read last year (it will be run on July 22) so we'll try to defend our title. I think the spacing is really good, and from there, we'll see, but I've got a 'Win and You're In' Mile berth and we'll definitely gear our campaign towards that."
Hunt was bred in Ireland by Michael O'Callaghan out of the Vettori mare Mansiya. He began his career in his native country in 2014, and made seven starts before he debuted for D'Amato at Del Mar in the summer of 2015. The Shoemaker win improved his record to 9-5-3 from 27 starts, with earnings of $908,764.