Intrepid Heart gets some relief

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Intrepid Heart will be making his first appearance at Oaklawn Park since the spring of 2021 in the seventh race on Monday, a $20,000 starter allowance for 4-year-olds and up over 1 1/16 miles.

The special holiday card also includes a first-level allowance sprint for fillies and mares bred in Arkansas. It’s led by Pattern Bet, a maiden winner at the meet, and One Way Or Another, who was second at this allowance level in December.

Intrepid Heart first showed up at Oaklawn in 2019. The 3-yearold shipped in from South Florida and made his career debut in a maiden special weight at a mile. Intrepid Heart would gain a following that afternoon, as the son of Tapit wowed with his 7 3/4-length win on the undercard of the Razorback Handicap.

Fast forward to Monday and Intrepid Heart, now 7, is moving back into the starter ranks. In his last three starts, he was second in the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel in November at Churchill Downs, then finished seventh in both the $100,000 Tenacious and Grade 3 Louisiana at Fair Grounds.

“We’re trying to give him a little bit of class relief,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “His numbers seemed to fit [in the stakes], so we took a shot.

“This race came up very, very salty, I thought.”

Intrepid Heart is part of a field of 10 that includes Disc Jockey, who won four straight races between September and December capped by a firstlevel allowance at Oaklawn.

Intrepid Heart has placed in three stakes, and overall is 8 for 30 with earnings of $562,382. The half-brother to Commissioner has made a total of five starts at Oaklawn. Intrepid Heart has won three of those races – his latest local score a $20,000 claiming route in March 2021 that makes him eligible for Monday’s race.

In the last year, Intrepid Heart has put up a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 100 and played runner-up to both West Will Power and Keystone Field, who were to have met Saturday at Oaklawn in the Razorback.

“He [ran] his best numbers at age 6,” Sharp said of Intrepid Heart. “He [was] running his best lifetime numbers, which is why you [saw] him coming back up to the stakes ranks.

“He’s been a cool horse. He suits up, shows up every day for his job. He’s like one of those old warriors. He just enjoys going to work and training every day.”

Intrepid Heart will break from post 2 under Isaac Castillo, who has the mount for Jack Wagon Stables.

“He can be tactical if there’s not much pace,” Sharp said. “Generally, he’s better if he can sit back and just make one run.”

Disc Jockey could be up on the pace as he attempts to start a new win streak. His four-race run came to an end last out when he finished sixth as the favorite in a two-other-than allowance Jan. 29 at Oaklawn. Disc Jockey found himself farther off the pace than usual after trouble at the start and also was racing on a wet track for the first time.

Cristian Torres has the mount from post 7 for Jerry Caroom and trainer Robertino Diodoro.