Grade 1-Winning Turf Runner Heart to Heart Retired

Terry Hamilton's multiple graded stakes winner Heart to Heart has been retired trainer Brian Lynch confirmed April 15.

A fan favorite recognized by many for the distinctive heart-shaped marking on his forehead, the 8-year-old son of English Channel  exits racing with a 15-6-4 record from 41 starts and earnings of $2,035,090. 

"We're going to retire him," Lynch said. "He's currently going to go out to Hidden Brook in Kentucky. ... and then look at some options for where we are going to stand him."

A remarkably consistent runner throughout the whole of his career, Heart to Heart was bred in Ontario by Red Hawk Ranch out of the Silver Deputy mare Ask the Question. He broke his maiden on debut at 2 for the trainer Michael Stidham. He started four more times for Stidham in both the United States and in Canada before being transferred to Lynch's barn at the beginning of his sophomore season. 

Over the course of the next six years, Heart to Heart earned a total of 13 stakes victories—11 of them graded. At a time when many of his contemporaries had already been retired, Heart to Heart turned in some of his best performances at 7, earning back-to-back grade 1 scores in the Maker's Mark 46 Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland and Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. 

Heart to Heart made three starts in 2019, placing third in the Jan. 12 Tropical Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park and fourth in the Feb. 9 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs. He made the last start of his career this past weekend in this year's renewal of the Maker's 46 Mile, where he finished off the board after setting the early pace.

"He's a funny old horse sometimes if he gets on a track he doesn't like or a situation he doesn't like," Lynch said, "I think that happened the other day. The turf was a bit soft and he got pushed along and decided that he didn't want to do it. I think he's played at such a high level for such a long time, if he's not there getting it done at the same level, I would like to see him go out as a horse who played well on a high level rather than see him running around on lesser tracks."

For Lynch, the decision to retire Heart to Heart is bittersweet, but he looks forward to what the future holds for his protege as he prepares to embark on a second career. 

"He's been a wonderful horse," Lynch said. "Especially for me as a trainer. He's never had any vet work done on him or anything radical like that. He's a beautiful, sound horse and we gave him plenty of time when he needed it. He repaid us every year. 

"Every year he had a great season. We had a lot of fun with him and he won 12 or 13 graded stakes; there aren't too many of them out there that can do that. He won two grade 1s as a 7-year-old. We were hoping for a better result as an 8-year-old but he's done so much for us I feel like he deserves to look forward to a new career."