Heart to Heart Heads Full Commonwealth

Terry Hamilton's Jefferson Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) victor Heart to Heart looks to continue a win streak bolstered by his first graded score when he goes up against a full field Nov. 15 in the $100,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs.

Rested since his Sept. 27 wire-to-wire score in the Jefferson Cup, the Brian Lynch trainee takes on National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT) victor Wallyanna and Kent Stakes (gr. IIIT) runner-up Bashart while trying to make it three in a row.

Heart to Heart took the one-mile Jefferson by four lengths at 1-2 odds after winning the Better Talk Now Stakes going the same distance at Saratoga Race Course by three lengths in similar fashion. Julien Leparoux has the return mount.

The Commonwealth is conducted at 1 1/16 miles over the Churchill turf and drew a field of 13 sophomores with Wallyanna the 123-pound highweight.

Wallyanna took the Aug. 8 Hall of Fame at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles in powerful last-to-first fashion but has not won for trainer Michael Pino in two starts since then. Tim O'Donohue's 3-year-old Langfuhr   colt was sixth in the Sept. 1 Saranac Stakes (gr. IIIT), also at Saratoga but run over 1 1/8 miles, and then ran fourth in the Oct. 18 Showing Up Stakes going a mile at Gulfstream Park West.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Wallyanna, who will break from post 3.

Bashart, who was fifth for Rosedown Racing and trainer Michael Matz in the Hall of Fame, improved to fourth in the Saranac and then just missed Sept. 20 when he was passed by Divine Oath going 1 1/8 miles in the Kent at Delaware Park. Looking to improve off that three-quarter-length runner-up finish, the War Front   runner gets the services of Luis Saez from the far outside. Bashart carries 118.

Others of interest include Sherry Racing's Shiva Ryan, third in the Showing Up, and Gary and Mary West's Highball, who comes off a good Kentucky Downs allowance win for trainer Wayne Catalano. Highball was third in the American Derby (gr. IIIT) earlier this summer at Arlington International Racecourse.