Terry Hamilton and Brian Lynch are nothing if not persistent, especially where 7-year-old Heart to Heart is concerned.
They tried seven times to get a grade 1 win with the English Channel runner. After that, he rewarded their patience with back-to-back wins at the top level in the Feb. 10 Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (G1T) and the April 13 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T).
Now the veteran grass star has shipped to California to tackle another challenge—his third run in the $400,000 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) May 28 at Santa Anita Park. He was a narrow third as the favorite in last year's edition and finished fourth in 2016.
Heart to Heart was fourth in the 2014 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T) in his only other run at Santa Anita. In one other start in California, he came in 10th in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar.
Bowies Hero comes into the Shoemaker Mile in top form, with victories in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) and Mathis Brothers Mile in two of his last three starts. Between the two, the son of Artie Schiller missed by a half-length to Om in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T).
Om finished fourth behind Heart to Heart in the Maker's 46 Mile, and Kilroe runner-up Next Shares came in seventh in the Keeneland turf test. Both California-based runners look to return to better form on home turf after their trip to Kentucky.
Del Mar Mile Handicap (G2T) winner Blackjackcat, third to eventual champion World Approval in the Breeders' Cup Mile, will seek a return to form after dropping two straight. Hunt, who won the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T), Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2T), and Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) last season, will make his first start since November. He rebounded to win the Seabiscuit off a 13th in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).
The field is completed by Colonist and Arms Runner, each in search of his first graded win. Pavel's connections opted for a run in the May 26 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1), where he finished fourth.
Santa Anita Park, Monday, May 28, 2018, Race 7Entries: Shoemaker Mile S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Om (KY) Joseph Talamo 121 Dan L. Hendricks 5/1 2 2Bowies Hero (KY) Corey S. Nakatani 125 Philip D'Amato 5/2 3 3Pavel (KY) Mario Gutierrez 121 Doug F. O'Neill 8/1 4 4Colonist (KY) Drayden Van Dyke 121 Jerry Hollendorfer 15/1 5 5Hunt (IRE) Flavien Prat 123 Philip D'Amato 8/1 6 6Heart to Heart (ON) Julien R. Leparoux 125 Brian A. Lynch 2/1 7 7Arms Runner (FL) Geovanni Franco 121 Peter Miller 15/1 8 8Next Shares (KY) Rafael Bejarano 121 Richard Baltas 6/1 9 9Blackjackcat (KY) Kent J. Desormeaux 121 Mark Glatt 6/1
