By Brian DiDonato
The speedy and in-form Heart to Heart (English Channel) looks to earn his first victory at the highest level in a competitive renewal of Keeneland's GI Maker's 46 Mile Friday. Tenth behind stablemate Grand Arch (Arch) in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile over yielding sod here last October, the Terry Hamilton colorbearer bounced back to take Churchill's GIII River City H. Nov. 26 before besting subsequent GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. hero Lukes Alley (Flower Alley) in the GII Fort Lauderdale S. in Hallandale Jan. 9. The Brian Lynch trainee most recently ran away with Gulfstream's Canadian Turf S. Feb. 27, earning his third-straight 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Heart to Heart has certainly done his best running when allowed to relax on the lead, but he may not have that luxury Friday.
Among his early company should be Shining Copper (Aragorn {Ire}), who finished fourth in last year's GI United Nations S. and third in the GI Arlington Million S. when used as a rabbit for Ken and Sarah Ramsey's champion turf horse Big Blue Kitten (Kitten's Joy). Fifth in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. at Belmont Sept. 26 and 11th in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Oct. 31, he finished second by just a neck in the Gulfstream Park Turf H. last time.
Tourist (Tiznow) has also shown speed at times. The 2014 GI Secretariat S. runner-up took last September's More Than Ready S. box to wire off a long lay-off before rallying from off the pace to finish third by a neck in the Shadwell Turf Mile. He has been off since finishing eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup mile here Oct. 31.
While champion Tepin (Bernstein) will take on her fellow females in Saturday's GI Jenny Wiley S., the fairer sex will still be represented here by the popular Miss Temple City (Temple City). Second behind superstar Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the GIII Appalachian S. here almost exactly a year ago, the dark bay earned her first stakes victory in Pimlico's Hilltop S. in May before running a creditable fourth in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. June 19. Second and third, respectively, behind Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d'Oro) in Saratoga's GII Lake Placid S. Aug. 14 and Belmont's GII Sands Point S. Sept. 12, she finished one spot ahead of that familiar foe when missing by a head after what many argued was actionable interference by winner Her Emmynency (Successful Appeal) in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Oct. 10.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
