New connections have high hopes for She Takes Heart

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – In December 2014, owner Ron Paolucci put up $62,500 to claim Sr. Quisqueyano, turned the horse over to trainer Peter Walder and less than four weeks later they were all standing in the winner’s circle together celebrating an improbable victory as a 20-1 longshot in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic.

On Saturday, Paolucci and Walder are hoping lightning can strike once again when She Takes Heart goes postward as one of the outsiders in the Grade 2, $250,000 Princess Rooney. Like Sr. Quisqueyano, Paolucci haltered She Takes Heart for a $62,500 price tag here May 10, and the 5-year-old, stakes-placed mare has been working up a storm in the mornings ever since.

“Ron liked her,” Walder said. “He said she had run well in stakes company before and with a change of scenery, in a different program, she might be able to get over the hump and win a stakes. Just like Sr. Quisqueyano and City of Westin several years ago, who we also took for $62,500 and subsequently won a stakes with shortly thereafter.”

She Takes Heart has had local clockers checking their watches over the last several weeks, turning in a series of blazing drills that included a half-mile from the gate in 45.80 seconds over a good track Saturday.

“Naturally, when we took her, we never expected to see her working like this,” Walder said. “One thing I have done is take the blinkers off her. I never work my horses with blinkers, but the way she’s been going, she’ll also race without blinkers on Saturday. Whether what she’s been showing us in the morning transitions to the afternoon remains to be seen, but she’s been doing things so easily. If she runs anywhere near like she’s working, it’s hard to believe she won’t be in the mix of things in this race.”

Walder said Edgard Zayas, who was aboard She Takes Heart when she worked five furlongs in 58.56 the previous week, will have the mount in the seven-furlong Princess Rooney.

She Takes Heart wasn’t the only member of the prospective Princess Rooney lineup to train here this weekend. On Sunday, defending winner and likely favorite Curlin’s Approval breezed four furlongs in 47.84 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:00.95 with Jilver Chamalfi aboard. Curlin’s Approval was the last worker of the morning over a track officially listed as muddy, but which had dried out substantially by the time she breezed just before closing time at 9:45 a.m.

“I was hoping she’d go a little faster since it was only her second work since her last start, but Jilver did a good job and I thought it was a perfect move six days before the race,” owner and trainer Happy Alter said.

Curlin’s Approval returned from a 15-week layoff to win an overnight stakes by three lengths here June 3 under Tyler Gaffalione. Luis Saez will have the mount in the Princess Rooney.

“Tyler did a great job with her last time, but I gave the call for the Princess Rooney to Luis, if he was available, way back and I always stick to my word,” Alter said.

Tight race for leading trainer

The battle for leading trainer honors for the spring meeting will likely go down to the final race on the final day of the session that ends Saturday. Just a single victory separated eight trainers heading into Thursday’s program, with Victor Barboza Jr. and Oscar Gonzalez holding a tenuous advantage atop the standings with 16 wins apiece. Defending titleholder Todd Pletcher, Stanley Gold, Ralph Nicks, Armando De la cerda, Antonio Sano, and Ralph Ziadie were all just a single win back.

Gaffalione brings a three-win cushion, 59-56, into Thursday’s card over Emisael Jaramillo in defense of the spring jockey title, with Edgard Zayas and Miguel Vasquez just one more back with 55 tallies for the meet that began April 5.

◗ The Rainbow 6 carryover will open at $801,668 when racing resumes Thursday after surviving for the 26th straight day on Sunday. A mandatory disbursement of the pool will take place during Saturday’s Summit of Speed card.

◗ Trainer Carlo Vaccarezza has set up a scholarship fund for Brittlyn Lanerie, the daughter of Shantel Lanerie, who died unexpectedly last week. For donations, call (561) 714-6019 or send a check to His Place Ministries, 39 SE 1st Avenue, Boca Raton, FL, 33432.