Heart to Heart holds on in Gulfstream Park Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH — It was all smiles in the winner’s circle after Saturday’s $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf, none bigger than the one on the face of trainer Brian Lynch.

His popular pupil Heart to Heart had just scored his first Grade I victory. In his 34th career start, the 7-year-old led the 1 turf race from gate to wire, finishing in a time of 1:47.64.

Though Heart to Heart led at every call, it took all he had to hold off his seven rivals. For Lynch, the manner in which he won made the victory all the sweeter.

“After watching him come back in and as blowing as hard as he blew after the race, he really gave it his all today,” Lynch said.

The win made up for his last outing in the Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream last month where he reared breaking from the gate and finished seventh. Saturday, he had no trouble whatsoever as he broke sharply from the inside gate. Jockey Julien Leparoux sent him right to the lead as long shot One Go All Go menaced him through sensible early fractions.

“Everybody knows that he’s a horse that if you do leave him alone he’s dangerous,” Lynch said. “Everyone has that inclination to slide up on him a little bit and push him and push him. But every time someone attempted to he would inch away.”

Kurilov rallied to finish a neck short followed by Hi Happy, back. Leparoux would ride two winners on the day.

Lynch said that his preference would be to give Heart to Heart some time off. As such, he mentioned the Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland on April 13 as a possible next start.

There was one other graded stakes race contested Saturday, also at 1

on the turf for older fillies and mares. In the $150,000 GIII Suwannee River, Elysea’s World ran down Dream Awhile in deep stretch for the win, giving trainer Chad Brown a one-two finish.

Midnight Crossing set the early pace in the race, leading the field of nine out to an opening half mile in 48.88 seconds. Out of the final turn, she was swallowed up by Dream Awhile to her outside who then set sail for the wire. But in the final furlong, Elysea’s World was in full stride as she would get a neck ahead to score her first win since December 2016.

The winning time for the race was 1:47.75. Ultra Brat came in third.

LESLIE MARTIN/GULFSTREAM PARK/COURTESY Heart to Heart, third from left, with Julien Leparoux aboard, wins the $300,000 Grade I Gulfstream Park Turf on Saturday.

Elyseas World, left, takes the GIII Suwannee River.