Heart to Heart

Canadian-bred Heart to Heart, who bears a heart-shaped marking on his forehead, won half of his eight races in 2014. Three of those wins came in the form of a three-race stakes winning streak that included the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup Stakes and Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes.

Heart to Heart added graded stakes victories in the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park and the River City Handicap at Churchill Downs in 2015. He opened his 2016 season with consecutive wins in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes and Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes, both at Gulfstream Park. After finishing second in the Grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes, Heart to Heart ran fourth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Miles Stakes before regaining his winning form in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes in October. He closed his 2016 season with a victory in the El Prado Stakes at Gulfstream.

After an unplaced finish in his season debut in 2017, Heart to Heart won the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes for the second straight year. He then finished second by a neck to American Patriot in the Maker's 46 Mile Stakes. In his next start, Heart to Heart shipped west to Santa Anita for another try at the the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile. He set a clear pace into the stretch but weakened to finish third behind Bal a Bali and Farhan. Then, he returned to Saratoga for the first time in over three years and scored a sharp 1 ¼-length front-running victory in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap. 

Following that win, Heart to Heart tried again for an elusive Grade 1 score in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland in October. He set a contested pace through the backstretch and spurted clear at the top of the lane but could not hold off a late rally by Europe-based Suedois, gamely competing to the end but coming up a half-length short. He closed his season in the Breeders' Cup Mile, taking the lead in early stretch but fading late and finishing three lengths behind the winner.

After a disappointing seventh-place finish in his 7-year-old debut, Heart to Heart got back on track by scoring his first Grade 1 victory in the Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes on Feb. 10. He followed with another impressive victory in a Grade 1 race, leading from start to finish in a clear win in the Maker's 46 Mile Stakes at Keeneland on April 13. In his attempt at a Grade 1 triple, Heart to Heart fought valiantly but came up a neck short to Hunt in the May 28 Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park, a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.