Gulfstream: Silent Heart Following in Dad’s Hoofprints at Gulfstream Park – 14 Entered in Turf Event

By David Joseph —-

Silent Heart Following in Dad’s Hoofprints at Gulfstream Park

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Terry Hamilton’s Silent Heart is scheduled to seek back-to-back stakes wins at Gulfstream Park Saturday when the son of Heart to Heart takes on a full field of 3-year-olds in the $140,000 Tropical Park Derby.

With a victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf event, Silent Heart, who romped to a 3 ½-length triumph in the Nov. 2 Showing Up, would match a feat his sire accomplished twice at Gulfstream during a long and highly productive career.

“His father certainly had a fondness for Gulfstream, didn’t he?” said Brian Lynch, who trained Heart to Heart and now trains Silent Heart for Hamilton.

The son of English Channel, who earned more than $2 million from 2013 through 2019, won the Fort Lauderdale (G2) and Canadian Turf (G3) back-to-back in 2016 before going back-to-back in 2017 in the El Prado and Canadian Turf (G3). In 2018, Heart to Heart captured the Gulfstream Park Turf (G1), currently renewed as the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), before winning the Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

Silent Heart took to Gulfstream’s turf immediately last season, following up a pair of runner-up finishes out of town with a 2 ¼-length maiden victory last December. Hamilton’s homebred colt came right back to win a first level optional claiming allowance before coming up just a neck short while finishing third in the Colonel Liam. Following a summer break, in which a small chip was removed from a hind ankle, Silent Heart finished third in a Keeneland turf sprint before returning to Gulfstream and the winner’s circle with a 3 ½-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Showing Up.

“He certainly has that fine tenacity as Heart to Heart does,” Lynch said. “He’s a competitive little horse. He’s an easy-keeper around the barn. You wouldn’t even know he’s here, but when you get him out on the racetrack, he does have that bit of tenacity that his father had.”

Lynch was quick to recognize the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

“I was always hoping that Heart to Heart can come up with a good little horse. When I started breezing him – we had a few of them – he shined like new money,” Lynch said.

Edgar Perez has the return mount aboard Silent Heart Saturday.

Silent Heart will become reacquainted with West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig LLC’s Cugino in the Tropical Park Derby. Shug McGaughey-trained Cugino and Silent Heart finished noses apart in the Colonel Liam, in which Cugino eked out a second-place finish behind Abrumar.

Cugino has been graded stakes-placed twice since that meeting, including a runner-up finish in the Hill Prince (G3) at Aqueduct last time out.

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride the son of Twirling Candy for the first time Saturday.

Gary Barber’s In a Jam finished a well-beaten second behind Silent Heart in the Showing Up, but the son of Preservationist has also shown a distinct liking for the Gulfstream turf, over which he has finished first or second in all five starts. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, In a Jam won the off-the-turf Not Surprising over Gulfstream’s Tapeta course in June before going on to earn a graded-stakes placing with a third-place finish in the Secretariat at Colonial Downs.

Casse will also be represented in the Tropical Park Derby field by Cash Is King LLC and D J Stable LLC’s Can Group, who won the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland last year. The gelded son of Good Samaritan has been keeping good company this year without success. He is coming off a freshening since his eighth-place finish behind Cugino in the June 1 Audubon at Churchill.

Edwin Conzalez has the call on In a Jam while Hall of Famer John Velazquez has been named on Can Group.

Also entered in the Tropical Park Derby, which will co-headline an 11-race program with the $140,000 Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies: Reddam Racing LLC’s Live High Live Low. Gold Square LLC, Joseph Hardoon, and trainer Jose D’Angelo’s Full Nelson, Echo Papa Racing Corp.’s Freedom Principle, Donald Ming’s Ninja Star, Godolphin’s Palm Tree, Just for Fun Stable Inc.’s Brawn, R T Racing Stable and Nablam Los Cabal’s Fidelightcayuf, and Mark Grier’s Inveigled. Anthony Roger’s Echo Lane and Korina Stable’s Il Siciliano are also-eligibles.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park – home of The California Crown and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.