Keogh among those interested in Mighty Heart’s quest
TORONTO — Mike Keogh finds himself in a similar position to the surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
Miami remains the National Football League’s last unbeaten team, capping a perfect 17-0 run by downing Washington 14-7 in the Super Bowl. There’ve been reports over the years that, whenever the league’s last undefeated teams lose, some of the Dolphins’ surviving members gather to toast the continuation of their record.
In 2003, the Keogh-trained colt Wando captured the Canadian Triple Crown with a 1 1⁄2- length victory in the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes with Patrick Husbands aboard. No horse has accomplished the feat since.
On Oct. 24, Mighty Heart will have an opportunity to become just the eighth Canadian-bred horse — and first since Wando — to record the elusive sweep. Trainer Josie Carroll said earlier this week her one-eyed colt is being pointed toward the Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto after winning the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes within a 17-day span.
“He’s an easy horse to cheer for,” the amiable Keogh said in a telephone interview.
“I love the story, the owner-breeder is a small operation and I love to see that,” he added.
“But, obviously, it would be bittersweet as well. You’d still like Wando to be the last Triple Crown winner. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that.”
However, the veteran Woodbine trainer also understands the tremendous lift a Triple Crown win would provide Canada’s horse-racing community during a global pandemic — especially one delivered by a horse that lost an eye as a foal in a paddock accident, then burst on to the scene in 2020 with a wire-towire, 7 1⁄2- length win in the Plate as a13-1 long shot at Woodbine.
For good measure, Mighty Heart came from third off the final turn at the Prince of Wales on Sept. 29 for another impressive win, this time as the 6-5 race favourite in Fort Erie, Ont.
“He was on the lead in the Plate and rated in the Prince of Wales so he looks like he’s pretty easy to handle in a race,” Keogh said.
“If there was a lot of speed in the Breeders’ he could sit off it and if there was no speed he could go to the lead,” he added.
“He looks like he’s a very quality horse ... he’s certainly improving with every race.”
The Prince of Wales victory was Mighty Heart’s third in four races. Overall, he has three wins and a third-place finish in six career starts, all coming this year, for $688,003 in earnings.