Heart to Heart has much in his favor in River City Handicap

Heart to Heart has plenty to be thankful for in the Grade 3, $100,000 River City Handicap on Thursday at Churchill Downs, as the champion colt faces a field devoid of committed speed and is likely to have ideal conditions on a turf course on which he is unbeaten.

Heart to Heart was perfect at Churchill Downs last year, scoring open-lengths victories in the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup in September and the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf in November – victories that helped him secure the 2014 Sovereign Award for Canada’s champion 3-year-old male. The colt’s lone victory this year came in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park; he then finished 10th on yielding turf in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile on Keeneland’s rainy opening weekend.

“No doubt he’ll be up front,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “Hopefully, there isn’t too much speed in the race. His last race was run over a soft turf, and he doesn’t like that too much. He hasn’t run his best races over the soft going. It seems like the firm turf suits him much better, so hopefully we get that on Thursday.”

The forecasts for Louisville, Ky., for Wednesday and Thursday call for partly cloudy skies but no precipitation. Rain is expected to move into the area Friday and Saturday.

Julien Leparoux is aboard Heart to Heart, who is ideally drawn in post 3 in the field of nine.

Immediately to the outside of Heart to Heart is Are You Kidding Me, who is likely to track with the second flight of horses under Alan Garcia. The 5-year-old appears to be in the best form of his career for trainer Roger Attfield, as he has only missed the board once this season while competing exclusively in stakes company. He comes into the River City off a victory in the Autumn Stakes at Woodbine – his third Grade 2 score of the season.

The morning-line favorite is Messi, who has won 3 of 4 starts since joining trainer Graham Motion’s string from Germany. He posted his first U.S. stakes victory last out, winning the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes by a nose at Belmont Park. John Velazquez, aboard for all of his U.S. outings, retains the mount.

Knights Nation, a winner on both the Churchill Downs turf and dirt, was second by a half-length in the track’s Grade 2 Firecracker Stakes earlier this year. The field also includes the stakes winner Kalamos and the stakes-placed Perfect Title and Thatcher Street.

KEY CONTENDERS

Heart to Heart (Last 3 Beyers: 70-103-91)

◗ Leparoux rode Heart to Heart in his four-length score in the Jefferson Cup and his 3 3/4-length win in the Commonwealth Turf, both at Churchill, last year. He now is reunited with the colt for the first time this season.

Are You Kidding Me (Last 3 Beyers: 102-96-89)

◗ He is coming off a career-best Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Autumn.

◗ He carries the high weight of 123 pounds, giving two pounds to Heart to Heart and four to Messi.

Messi (Last 3 Beyers: 104-86-97)

◗ His only loss in the U.S. came when he finished unplaced against Grade 1 company in the Sword Dancer Invitational.