Heart to Heart still has something to prove in Maker's 46 Mile
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Heart to Heart has been uncatchable on a solo lead, but will the 5-year-old horse get that favorable scenario again Friday when he goes for his first Grade 1 victory in the Maker’s 46 Mile on the Keeneland turf?
A fresh set of challengers will face Heart to Heart and jockey Julien Leparoux in the $300,000 Maker’s 46, and the opposition will be looking to capitalize on the presence of the speedy Shining Copper, who might well crimp the front-running style of the Brian Lynch-trained Heart to Heart.
“He’s been hard to catch when left alone on the lead,” Lynch said of Heart to Heart, a wire-to-wire winner in seven of his last 11 races, all turf stakes.
Those wins came without intense early pressure, which might well come Friday from Shining Copper, whose primary role in the Ken and Sarah Ramsey stable has been as a rabbit for his champion stablemate Big Blue Kitten. Although he will be turning back in distance, there seems little doubt that Shining Copper has the quicks to force Heart to Heart through difficult fractions.
A ruinous pace might well set up this 28th running of the Maker’s 46 for a closer, including Tourist, Itsaknockout, Reload, or Miss Temple City.
Tourist, bred and co-owned by WinStar Farm, has had moments of brilliance in a 12-race career. The 5-year-old horse will be making his first start in more than five months following a strong series of works at Payson Park.
“We actually had him ready to run last month at Gulfstream, but the quarantine situation precluded us from doing that,” said trainer Bill Mott, referring to a quarantine at Payson Park last month after a horse tested positive for the equine herpesvirus. “He looks good, and he’s working very well. Hopefully, he’ll fire a good shot.”
Itsaknockout is making his grass debut, which makes him an unknown in the nine-horse field. An eye-catching half-mile breeze in 47 seconds over the Keeneland turf Sunday was “superior to the superior horses” that also worked that day, according to clocker Billy Pettingill. Given his pedigree (by turf sire Lemon Drop Kid) and the classy company he has kept throughout an eight-race career, Itsaknockout could prove a genuine threat for Starlight Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher.
Reload, a Phipps Stable homebred, is a multiple graded stakes winner who has found his comfort zone in grass races at around a mile. The 7-year-old horse comes off a victory nine weeks ago in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes.
Miss Temple City, believed to be the first filly or mare in a race that dates to 1989, was cross-entered in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on Saturday, but trainer Graham Motion said he was leaning toward running against the boys instead of facing Tepin, the heavy favorite in the Jenny Wiley.
Are You Kidding Me is unraced since winning the Grade 2 Autumn over the Woodbine synthetic five months ago. He also was very impressive in a recent breeze, according to Keeneland clockers, following a steady work slate for Roger Attfield at Payson this winter.
The Maker’s 46 has showcased some great turf horses through the years, with Breeders’ Cup Mile champions Opening Verse (1991), Artie Schiller (2005), Kip Deville (2007-08), and Wise Dan (2013-14) among the roster of prior winners.
First post for a 10-race Friday card is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the Maker’s 46 set for 5:30 as the ninth race. The weather is supposed to be perfect, with mostly sunny skies and a high of 71 in the forecast.
KEY CONTENDERS
Heart to Heart, by English Channel
Last 3 Beyers: 104-104-104
◗ His sensational Beyer Speed Figures may or may not have been helped by perfect trips, so it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts if put to early pressure.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Heart to Heart. Trainer Brian Lynch is 32-12-3-1 with a $4.73 ROI over the past two years in turf route graded stakes following a layoff of between 31 and 60 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tourist, by Tiznow
Last 3 Beyers: 95-103-102
◗ He was beaten just a neck for all the money here last fall in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile before finishing eighth behind Tepin in the BC Mile.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Tourist. Trainer Bill Mott is 19-1-2-5 with a $0.61 ROI over the past five years in turf route graded stakes following a layoff of between 100 and 200 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Miss Temple City, by Temple City
Last 3 Beyers: 97-96-98
◗ Four-year-old filly was defeated in a tight photo here last fall in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and has been working well in Florida.
Itsaknockout, by Lemon Drop Kid
Last 3 Beyers: 95-102-98
◗ The shift to turf is an intriguing move from Pletcher, who started this week with 48 Keeneland stakes wins, second in track history.
Shining Copper, by Aragorn
Last 3 Beyers: 103-79-95
◗ Six-year-old gelding was narrowly beaten in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Turf as a solo entry when relieved of his customary pace-forcing role.
Reload, by Hard Spun
Last 3 Beyers: 101-95-98
◗ The runner-up behind him in the Tampa Bay Stakes, Take the Stand, flattered him by wheeling back to win the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial in his next start.