Heart to Heart seeks Grade 1 win in Shadwell Turf Mile

“The elusive Grade 1 …,” trainer Brian Lynch said Tuesday morning. “He’s in the air now coming from Belmont.”

The horse in question is Terry Hamilton’s Heart to Heart, earner of more than $1.3 million and winner of nine graded stakes, but no Grade 1s.

“He’s doing really well,” Lynch said. “He worked Sunday morning at Belmont (:37.11 for 3 furlongs over the inner turf course) and came out of it in good order.”

A winner of two Grade 2s and seven Grade 3s, Heart to Heart is scheduled to make a sixth try for a Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile. In his most recent Keeneland appearance, this spring’s Maker’s 46 Mile (G1), Heart to Heart finished second by a neck to expected Shadwell Turf Mile rival American Patriot.

“When we shorten him to a mile, there is always pace pressure,” Lynch said. “When he goes longer he can shake loose.”

Shake loose is what the son of English Channel did in his most recent race, a 1¼-length victory in the Bernard Baruch (G2) at Saratoga.

Lynch hopes to get Fall Stars Weekend off to a good start Friday when he runs Susan and Jim Hill’s Loose On the Town in the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) going 6 furlongs on the main track.

“I think he is better on the dirt than the grass,” Lynch said of the 5-year-old son of Speightstown, who finished second in the Tale of the Cat at Saratoga, a head behind Stallwalkin Dude. “His form was validated by Stallwalkin Dude (who finished third) in the Vosburgh (G1) last Saturday.”

Source: Keeneland Association