Adam Coglianese
Head Heart Hoof recorded his first graded victory and second straight stakes score when he held off fast-closing favorite Johannesburg Smile for a New York-bred one-two finish in the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday.
Head Heart Hoof came into his graded stakes debut in the 6-furlong Toboggan fresh from a convincing first stakes win in the open True and Blue overnight stakes at Aqueduct on January 9, where he completed six furlongs in 1:09.10 for a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.
Slated to break from the outside post in the field of six under Cornelio Velasquez, the grey was bet down to 2-1 second choice by post time, ten cents behind favorite Johannesburg Smile, who was claimed for $100,000 out of a win in his last start on January 4 by Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher who won the last two renewals of the Toboggan with another former claimer, Calibrachoa.
Head Heart Hoof broke with good energy and was rated in second through an opening quarter mile in 22.95 behind Michael Hushion-trained P J’s Magical Wink, with Johannesburg Smile another length back in third.
Making a move on the pacesetter and gaining the top spot at the quarter pole, Head Heart Hoof opened up two lengths in mid stretch and had enough energy in reserve in the final yards to hold off a strong late charge at the rail by Johannesburg Smile.
Head Heart Hoof secured the victory by a half length in a final time of 1:09.86. Sinai, P J’s Magical Wink, Isn’t He Perfect, and Mine Over Matter, who spotted the field five lengths after a poor start, completed the order of finish.
Winning jockey Cornelio Velasquez said, “[P J’s Magical Wink] has a lot of speed, so I stayed close. 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.”
Rudy Rodriguez, who trains Head Heart Hoof for Michael Dubb, Stuart Grant, Gary Aisquith and Scott Akman said, “It looked like he came back to us in very good shape. 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.”
Head Heart Hoof, a durable 7-year-old gelded son of Intidab who has had no significant layoffs in five years, has compiled a record of 18-7-3 from 50 starts and earned $470,176.
Dubb, who claimed Head Heart Hoof for $35,000 in January 2012, said, “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 . . . [We] 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.”
A juvenile maiden-breaker at Belmont at second asking, but well-beaten in two stakes tries that year for Masie Stable and trainer Seth Benzel, Head Heart Hoof, went on compile a very solid record in the allowance and claiming ranks from 2009-2012 at Finger Lakes, on the NYRA circuit and elsewhere, changing hands multiple times via the claim box and rising in the claiming ranks from $4,000 to the $35,000 level. During this period he enjoyed particular success – including 12 victories – in the barn of Chris Englehart by whom he was claimed twice on behalf of My Purple Haze Stables – for $4,000 in June 2009 and for $7,500 in July 2010.
While competing at the level of $25,000 or above, Head Heart Hoof won once and finished second three times in six starts for Jay Em Ess Stable and Rick Dutrow, and finished second once in a single start for Bruce Brown and La Marca Stable.
Bred by Rhapsody Farm and Alan and Dora Alcon, and foaled at Rhapsody Farm, Head Heart Hoof passed once through the auction ring, purchased as a weanling by Linda Rice for $19,000 at the 2006 New York mixed sale.
Head Heart Hoof is out of Trustees Gray, a Kentucky-bred five-time winner out of Flying Chevron ($103,269). Trustees Gray is also the dam of three other winners, including Myrtle’s Gray ($155,755), a stakes-placed winner out of Oratory also bred by Rhapsody and the Alcons. Her last reported foal, Thunder Roaring, a 4-year-old filly by Roaring Fever bred by Frank and Peggy Ariosta, has placed multiple times.
