COMMONWEALTH TURF S. | PURSE: $100,000 | 3-YEAR-OLDS | GRADE 3 | 1 1/16-MILES (TURF)
Making his first start since a facile wire-to-wire win in the Jefferson Cup on September 27, Terry Hamilton's Heart to Heart made short work of his foes in another Grade 3 event at Churchill Downs on Saturday, capturing the $115,3000 Commonwealth Turf by 3 3/4 lengths.
"He's a fast horse from the gate," jockey Julien Leparoux said. "He pretty much took me on the lead and the way he relaxed in the early stages gave him the ability to finish very strong. Luckily everything went according to plan today and he won easy again."
Trained by Brian Lynch, the pocket-sized son of English Channel ran 1 1/16 miles over a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in a stakes record 1:41.54 to defeat 11 rivals in the year's final graded stakes race on turf for three-year-olds in the region. The previous Commonwealth Turf best was Get Stormy's 1:41.67 in 2009.
Breaking from post No. 5, Heart to Heart led the field through fractions of :23 3/5, :47 2/5and 1:11 2/5 with Other Cheek tracking about a length back. Leparoux, who had a snug hold of the reins through the early stages, dropped his hands at the head of the stretch and Heart to Heart accelerated, widened his advantage and drew away for the comfortable win.
"I think one of this horse's biggest assets is how well he runs the turns," Lynch said. "He really ran around the first turn smoothly, relaxed down the backside and accelerated into that last turn really well. I think his acceleration in the turns allows him to get an advantage on the other horses and by they straightened up down the lane he was full of confidence.
"He certainly loves the two-turns and loves Churchill Downs."
Heart to Heart, sent to post as the even-money favorite in the field of 12, paid a $4 win mutuel. Runner-up Other Cheek wound up three-quarters of a length better than third-placer Bashart, who rated just behind the pacesetter.
The Canadian-bred Heart to Heart won his third straight stakes, posting a three-length victory in the August 20 Better Talk Now at Saratoga before his four-length romp in the Jefferson Cup. The $66,482 winner's share of the Commonwealth Turf purse pushed his bankroll to $329,807. Overall, he's won five of 12 starts with one second and a pair of thirds in 12 starts.
Out of the Silver Deputy mare Ask the Question, Heart to Heart was bred in Ontario by Red Hawk Ranch.
Lynch said the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile (formerly known as the Sir Beaufort) for three-year-olds at one mile on turf at Santa Anita on December 26 is the likely next race for Heart to Heart. After that, he'll spend the winter at Gulfstream Park and could target the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day.