Heart to Heart One to Catch in Fourstardave

In his first visit to Saratoga Race Course four years ago, Heart to Heart warned his comrades in the turf ranks what was to come over the next several seasons. 

As the field for the 2014 Better Talk Now Stakes raced over the inner turf, the then-3-year-old bay colt was rhythmically whipping along on the front end daring anyone to catch him. They didn't that day, leaving the son of English Channel  to cross the wire three lengths in front. In addition to earning his first stakes win that afternoon, the Brian Lynch trainee flaunted the strategic blueprint that has only gotten more effective over time.

"The way he ran that day (in the Better Talk Now) certainly gave us confidence," Lynch recalled. "From there, he went to Churchill and won (the grade 3 Jefferson Cup and Commonwealth Turf Stakes), and it's been history ever since. He certainly stamped his arrival that day."

Eleven graded stakes victories later, the horse whose career has now spanned two Triple Crown winners is back at the Spa, still tormenting his foes in the same run-them-off-their-feet fashion. Everyone knows what he is going to do and how he is going to do it, yet at the age of 7, he has made it more difficult than ever for his rivals to stop him.

Instead of giving in to time and losing his best step, Terry Hamilton's Heart to Heart is in the midst of his best season. After years of near misses at the top level, the sweet-faced horse now has multiple grade 1 victories and is seeking to add to that stockpile as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) over a mile Aug. 11 at the Spa.

It's been a lengthy road to the top for Heart to Heart, and his connections never lost faith. In February, the bay horse got the grade 1 victory that had eluded him—often in cruel fashion—during seven previous tries when he captured the Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (G1T). With that albatross off his neck, Heart to Heart promptly reinforced his standing among the division's best, winning the Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland in April. He fell a neck short of making it three straight when he finished second to Hunt in the May 28 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.

"As a 5- and 6-year old, he had some very tough beats in some grade 1s, but we always felt that if he could perform the way we know he can that eventually he would have his day in the sun," Lynch said. "And it's nice to see it happen for him this year as a 7-year old.

"We gave him some downtime (after the Shoemaker Mile) and freshened him back up, and his works have been very solid coming into the race. We have a feeling that he's in very good order."

Heart to Heart is unbeaten in two tries over the Saratoga course after winning the Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) there in September. Though Heart to Heart is clearly at his best when he's able to dictate terms on the front end, Lynch said the fact his charge sat off of Om in the Shoemaker Mile and still almost pulled off the victory tells him he can let jockey Julien Leparoux know to be patient if needed.

"He definitely has an affinity for Saratoga," Lynch said. "And as we've seen in his last race, he doesn't really need the lead. So if (fellow entrant) Voodoo Song wants to go crazy, we'll let him go and we'll sit off him, and hopefully he comes back to us."

Another son of English Channel, Voodoo Song returns to Saratoga after rattling off four straight wins at the Spa in 2017, highlighted by his neck victory over Yoshida in the Saranac Stakes (G3T). The 4-year-old colt was transferred to Linda Rice's barn after Mike Hushion retired from training last spring and heads into the Fourstardave off a win in the July 14 Forbidden Apple Stakes at Belmont Park.

"Clearly, he loves the turf," Rice said. "He likes the configuration here. Last year we got very little rain, and he likes it hard and fast. This year, he has run at Belmont on softer turf and has actually performed quite well. I would prefer a firm course for him, and I don't know if we will have that."

Out of Mystic Chant, by Unbridled's Song, Voodoo Song is a state-bred of Barry Schwartz's Stonewall Farm.

Stronach Stables' Delta Prince is another starter whose connections hope for firm ground. The half brother to champion Royal Delta enters off his first graded stakes victory in the June 30 King Edward Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine and will make only his second start this year for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The son of Street Cry ended his 4-year-old season with a third-place finish in the Bernard Baruch and has missed plenty of time due to minor issues throughout his career.

"He seems to be doing good," Jerkens said. "It was very good, especially after that long layoff. He's a very willing horse in the morning, so that helps a lot. He's a natural athlete. He's long and kind of slender through the middle. He keeps himself worked up and gets himself fit, too, so if ever a horse can get away with it, it's him.

"Let's hope it's not too soft," Jerkens added. "He seems to struggle a little bit. He ran very well in his race last year (Bernard Baruch), but I could tell it was a little soft and he kind of struggled a little bit more so than when it's firm."

Multiple grade 1 winner Divisidero was entered in both the Fourstardave and Arlington Million XXXVI Stakes (G1T) the same day, but owner Tom Keithley of Gunpowder Farms confirmed via text Aug. 9 that the son of Kitten's Joy  would be Saratoga-bound. Divisidero snapped a five-race losing skid last time out when he won the July 7 Arlington Handicap (G3T) and will be making his first start over the Saratoga course.

Stakes winner Weekend Hideaway has been entered in the Fourstardave as an also-eligible and will only run if the race comes off the turf.

Entries: Fourstardave H. (G1T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 11, 2018, Race 8

• Grade I
• 1m
• Inner turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:02 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Weekend Hideaway (NY)	Luis Saez	114	Philip M. Serpe	3/5
2	2Delta Prince (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	James A. Jerkens	4/1
3	3Divisidero (KY)	Jevian Toledo	119	Kelly Rubley	8/1
4	4Made You Look (KY)	Luis Saez	115	Chad C. Brown	4/1
5	5Heart to Heart (ON)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Brian A. Lynch	2/1
6	6Voodoo Song (NY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Linda Rice	9/2
7	7Yoshida (JPN)	Manuel Franco	122	William I. Mott	3/1