The speedy Heart to Heart (English Channel) will be the one to catch in Saturday's GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita, a 'Win and You're In' contest for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
He rattled off three straight front-running wins, including Gulfstream's GIII Canadian Turf S. Feb. 27 over subsequent GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. winner Divisidero (Kitten's Joy), before finishing a good second behind the Royal Ascot-bound Miss Temple City (Temple City) in the GI Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland last time Apr. 15. The Terry Hamilton colorbearer tired to finish fourth in his previous trip to California in the 2014 GII Mathis Brothers Mile.
“We're really happy with him going into the race,” trainer Brian Lynch told TDN's Ben Massam earlier this week. “Hopefully, he takes his A-game out there, and if he does, I think he'll be very tough.”
Twentytwentyvision (Pollard's Vision), runner-up in last summer's GI Eddie Read S. at Del Mar, followed a rallying second in the GIII Thunder Road S. Apr. 9 with a third-place finish as the 6-5 chalk behind Home Run Kitten (Kitten's Joy) in the off-the-turf GIII American S. May 6. In the money in all 10 career starts, the 5-year-old seeks his first career stakes victory here.
“He's a good horse,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “One of these days he'll win a big race. I hope it's the Shoemaker.”
Tourist (Tiznow), a close third as the 3-1 favorite in the aforementioned Maker's 46 Mile, cuts back in distance after a fourth-place finish in the Derby day Turf Classic.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
