On Familiar Ground, Heart to Heart Aims to Regroup

When two-time grade 1 winner Heart to Heart begins his seventh season of racing Jan. 12, it will be on one of his favorite courses.

The 8-year-old son of English Channel  is entered in the $100,000 Tropical Turf Stakes (G3T) on the Gulfstream Park turf, where he has won five of his seven starts—all in stakes.

Last year, Terry Hamilton's Heart to Heart enjoyed his best seasonal start, earning back-to-back top-level wins when he led at every call and prevailed in the Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (G1T) in February and then scored in the Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. But after that impressive start, his season ended with off-the-board finishes in the Aug. 11 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and the Oct. 6 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.

ANGST: Heart to Heart Dominates in Maker's 46 Mile

Rested since those efforts, this will be the fourth straight season Heart to Heart has made at least one start at Gulfstream, where he has built a following and won four graded stakes.

"He has a big fan following. He's a frontrunner, he's bold, and he gets out there. People get a lot of run for their money," said trainer Brian Lynch. "Over the years, he's certainly developed a big fan base. We're so lucky to have him in our barn. He's been a big part of our success. He keeps showing up on big days. The way he's training, being around him for as long as I have, I'd say he's sitting on a big race."

Since Dec. 3, Heart to Heart has worked five times on the turf at Palm Meadows Training Center, where he's earned a pair of bullets, including a five-furlong breeze in :58.30 Dec. 31.

"He's back now, and he seems to be doing as good as he ever has, so we're really excited about running him," Lynch said.

Canada's champion 3-year-old male of 2014, Heart to Heart will aim to secure the 14th stakes win of his career Saturday in the one-mile test, which has drawn a field of eight (Conquest Big E is a main-track-only entrant.) Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for both of Heart to Heart's grade 1 scores, will ride.

An intriguing challenger is Robert Evans' White Flag, who will start from post 2 with Jose Ortiz aboard. White Flag will be making his first start since he closed 2018 with an upset victory in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship Stakes, when he defeated crack sprinter Disco Partner. Trained by Christophe Clement, White Flag will be looking for his first win beyond seven furlongs.

Entries: Tropical Turf S. (G3T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 12, 2019, Race 9

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Vici (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	117	Michael J. Maker	9/2
2	2White Flag (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Christophe Clement	7/2
3	3Holiday Stone (KY)	Luis Saez	117	George Weaver	12/1
4	4Doctor Mounty (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Claude R. McGaughey III	10/1
5	5Mr Freeze (KY)	Robby Albarado	117	Dale L. Romans	15/1
6	6Heart to Heart (ON)	Julien R. Leparoux	119	Brian A. Lynch	4/5
7	7Your Only Man (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	117	Marcus J. Vitali	30/1
8	8Conquest Big E (KY)	Paco Lopez	119	Donna Green Hurtak	6/1