Michael Dubb, Stuart Grant, Gary Aisquith and Scott Akman’s Head Heart Hoof
held on at the end to capture Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000
Toboggan
at Aqueduct. The seven-year-old gray gelding is showing no signs of aging as he
posted his second straight win, and third in his last four starts.
“It looked like he came back to us in very good shape,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said.
“He loves the inner track, so I think that’s why he’s running this good right
now. We’re not doing too much to him. He’s sound, he’s whole, he’s game. Right
now I think he’s peaking, so hopefully he’ll keep doing that.
“The other horse is a very nice horse, but we got lucky. (Jockey) Cornelio
(Velasquez)
did a good job letting Channing (Hill on P J’s Magical Wink) run his
race, and he was able to control the pace on the outside. When Velasquez asked
Head Heart Hoof, he gave him what he got. He got the jump on Johannesburg Smile,
and I think that’s what got us to the wire.”
Head Heart Hoof broke well and rated in second as P
J’s Magical Wink posted an opening quarter in :22 4/5. He grabbed
control of the lead just before the half-mile pole, built a two-length lead
in the stretch, but that lead quickly dwindled as
he held for a half-length victory.
“P J’s Magical Wink has a lot of speed, so I stayed close,” Velasquez said.
“I had a lot of horse. Johannesburg Smile is a good horse, but I think with more
distance, maybe seven-eighths, he’s a better horse. My horse is in the best
condition now, and he finished good.”
Head Heart Hoof completed six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 over the fast inner track. The
2-1 second choice returned $6.10, $3.70 and $2.50 to his supporters.
Johannesburg Smile, the 9-5 favorite, tried to get there late on the inside but ran out
of real estate and had to settle for second. Sinai finished another 1 1/2
lengths back in third, and P J’s Magical Wink, Isn’t He
Perfect and Mine Over Matter rounded out the order of finish.
Head Heart Hoof, who was claimed by his connections for $35,000 in January
2012, recorded his first stakes victory and improved his lifetime record to 50-18-7-3,
$470,146.
“At the time we claimed him, I thought he’d be a useful two-other-than type
of horse, but I had hopes, especially in the wintertime,” Dubb said. “We ran him
back, and he ran second in a stakes race off the claim, but came back after that
and didn’t run great. We gave him some time, and had him at Laurel, Delaware and
Monmouth and he wasn’t doing what I wanted. I said, ‘He’s an Aqueduct horse,
let’s get him home to Aqueduct.’ I sent him to Rudy, and he’s getting better all
the time. I’m just thrilled with him.”
By Intidab, Head Heart Hoof was bred in New York by Alan and Dora Alcon and
Rhapsody Farm. He is out of the Flying Chevron mare Trustees Gray and comes from
the same female family of Grade 2
winners Vicki Vallencourt and Three Degrees.
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