Musical Heart leads throughout in Flat Out marathon

Musical Heart went straight to the front and never looked back to notch his first stakes in Friday’s $100,000 Flat Out at Belmont.

With Trevor McCarthy riding him for the first time, Musical Heart ($7.50) set moderate fractions of 24.75, 49 and 1:14.69 on a clear lead in the 1 3/8-mile test for older runners. McCarthy asked him to kick on nearing the quarter pole, and they opened up a 5 1/2-length cushion with an eighth left before holding on for a three-quarter-length score over a charging Ajaawed.

In his first outing of the year, the favored Rocketry rallied wide from a trailing sixth to finish 10 lengths back in third. He was followed by Zoomer, Irish Cork, and Air Attack. Burning Bright was scratched.

Over a fast track, the final time was 2:19.35.

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A son of speed sire Maclean’s Music, Musical Heart earned $55,000 for partnership of Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso.

Winning trainer Rob Atras claimed Musical Heart on behalf of Dubb for $62,500 on Nov. 13 at Aqueduct. The 6-year-old gelding went on to hit the board in four subsequent Aqueduct stakes before breaking through in the Flat Out.