Heartwood Seeks First Graded Win in Mr. Prospector

With the year drawing to a close and still no graded score on his résumé, James Chapman and Stuart Tsujimoto's Heartwood will try to accomplish just that when he makes his 13th start of 2018 in the Dec. 22 $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Chapman, the 4-year-old son of Tapit  has tested his luck in six graded events this season. He will enter off his best performance yet in graded company, a runner-up finish in the Nov. 22 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) going six furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Prior to that effort, the colt posted another second-place finish in the six-furlong Bet on Sunshine Stakes Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs, where he finished 4 1/2 lengths behind fellow Mr. Prospector entrant Uno Mas Modelo. On Aug. 4, he took the Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial Stakes at the same distance at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.

Heartwood will break from post 6 in the 11-horse field with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Loooch Racing Stables' Uno Mas Modelo will be vying for his third consecutive win in just under two months. The 5-year-old Macho Uno  gelding followed his win in the Bet on Sunshine with another impressive performance in the Dec. 1 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Stakes over the Mr. Prospector distance at Gulfstream.

In total, the Anthony Quartarolo trainee has posted five wins in 11 starts this year. He will partner with Albin Jimenez from post 8. 

Claimed for $80,000 at Churchill Sept. 27, fellow Quartarolo trainee and Loooch Racing runner Storm Advisory will also be looking to take home the first graded win of his career. The 6-year-old gelding is the oldest entrant in Saturday's field and will try to improve following an off-the-board effort last out in the Nov. 23 Clark Handicap presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill. 

Multiple graded stakes winner Coal Front will seek to rebound from a fifth-place finish in the Nov. 2 Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct, his first start in 14 months. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty  captured the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course and the Gallant Bob Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing during his sophomore campaign. 

Owned by Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners, Coal Front has drawn the outside post. Johnny Velazquez will have the call. 

Daniel Hurtak's Conquest Big E will try to break a three-race losing streak at Gulfstream in the Mr. Prospector. The Donna Green Hurtak-trained 5-year-old gelding's only previous graded victory came in the spring, when he scored by three lengths in the March 31 Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile Stakes (G2), defeating Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Always Dreaming .

He enters the race off a 5 3/4-length win in a Nov. 7 optional-claiming allowance race at Gulfstream Park West. Jose Ortiz will ride. 

Entries: Mr. Prospector S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 22, 2018, Race 10

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sweetontheladies (FL)	Marcos Meneses	119	Henry Collazo	20/1
2	2Kroy (FL)	Paco Lopez	121	Armando De la cerda	6/1
3	3Storm Advisory (PA)	Robby Albarado	119	Anthony T. Quartarolo	15/1
4	4J. S. Choice (KY)	Carlos J. Hernandez	117	Ben Colebrook	30/1
5	5K Choice (KY)	Luis Saez	114	Ben Colebrook	30/1
6	6Heartwood (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	James K. Chapman	9/2
7	7Wild Shot (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	117	George R. Arnold, II	10/1
8	8Uno Mas Modelo (KY)	Albin Jimenez	121	Anthony T. Quartarolo	2/1
9	9Conquest Big E (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Donna Green Hurtak	10/1
10	10Belle Tapisserie (KY)	Leonel Reyes	114	Jaime Mejia	20/1
11	11Coal Front (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2