After a slow start, Tobys Heart lives up to billing in Bolton Landing Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - All’s well that ends well for Tobys Heart, who once again overcame a bit of a tardy beginning to remain undefeated by registering a well-deserved and very popular 1 1/4-length decision over the pacesetting Joy’s Rocket in Wednesday’s $85,000 Bolton Landing at Saratoga.

Tobys Heart, who also broke slow before rallying to an impressive 6 3/4-length debut win in her only previous start 2 1/2 months earlier at Churchill Downs, raced near the rear of the field in the run down the backside in the 5 1/2-furlong Bolton Landing. Tobys Heart advanced widest commencing her rally on the final bend, continued strongly down the center of the course, and ultimately wore down Joy’s Rocket to win going away despite not switching off her left lead through the stretch.

Joy’s Rocket entered the Bolton Landing as the lone stakes winner in the field and unbeaten in two previous starts. The well-traveled youngster was quick to begin, controlled the pace near the rail, shook free in early stretch but could not withstand the winner. She was easily second best, finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of Amanzi Yimpilo.

Jose Ortiz rode Tobys Heart, who is owned in partnership by Terry Hamilton and her trainer, Brian Lynch. The daughter of Jack Milton covered the distance in 1:02.31 over a good turf course and paid $3.10.

“She took another step forward today, I’m very proud of her,” Lynch said by phone after the race. “She didn’t break well again and had to go widest around the turn. Going 5 1/2 furlongs there you don’t realize how wide they go until you watch the replay a couple of times.

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“Inevitably, I’m hopeful she’ll go a little further than that. It sure looked it the way she galloped out today. So fingers crossed, we have plenty to look forward to with her.”

Ortiz said he was not concerned about the slow beginning for Tobys Heart.

“She broke a little slow the first time out and didn’t break any faster today,” Ortiz said. “Sometimes with these kind of horses on the turf, come-from-behind sprinters, you would rather break a little slow. I was good with the way she broke today. I just sat and rode her like the best horse. When I tapped on her shoulder approaching the quarter pole, she was there for me the whole time.”

Lynch said he’s already picked out a couple of possible races for Tobys Heart’s next start, including the Grade 1 Natalma going a mile at Woodbine on Sept. 20. The Natalma is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.