Three Hearts Brings Things Full Circle For Irwin

A change of scenery, equipment change and a new trainer helped vault Three Hearts to a career high here. Three Hearts, a half-sister to 2010 GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Pluck (More Than Ready), closed out her tenure for Graham Motion with a Keeneland allowance victory in April 2013, her most recent trip to the winner’s circle. Transferred to Rick Mettee, Three Hearts was a close third in last term’s GIII Virginia Oaks in July, then was placed on the shelf for 12 months. She made three starts since in 2014–all $62,500 optional claimers in New York–most recently pairing up fourth-place finishes at Saratoga Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, respectively. Making her first attempt for Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale with blinkers off and beyond nine furlongs here, she was placed in a perfect spot in fifth beneath Joe Talamo through a half mile in :49.52. Three Hearts continued to draft nicely in fourth as they made their way around the final turn, gained a narrow advantage at the top of the stretch and dug in gamely to prevail for a narrow score while setting the tote a blaze. This win particular came full circle for owner/breeder Team Valor’s Barry Irwin. His first stakes winner as a syndicate manager came by the way of Political Ambition, who was also trained by Drysdale. The date? November 22, 1987. The winner’s dam passed away this past July in Kentucky.

Saturday, Del Mar
RED CARPET H.-GIII, $101,500, DMR, 11-22, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 3/8mT, 2:15 2/5, fm. 
1–#@THREE HEARTS, 115, f, 4, by Hat Trick (Jpn) 
     1st Dam: Secret Heart (SAf) (SW & MG1SP-SAf), by Fort Wood 
     2nd Dam: Secret Pact (SAf), by Bush Telegraph (SAf) 
     3rd Dam: Soho Secret (SAf), by Regent Street (Arg) 
O/B-Team Valor International (KY); T-Neil D Drysdale; 
J-Joseph Talamo. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 
14-3-3-3, $192,249. *1/2 to Pluck (More Than 
Ready), MGSW, $581,850. Werk Nick Rating: D+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lady of Gold, 119, f, 4, Medaglia d’Oro–Ron’s Lady, 
by Elhayq (Ire). ($100,000 wlng ’10 KEENOV; 
$120,000 RNA yrl ’11 KEESEP). O-The Elkstone 
Group LLC; B-Bert Welker & Clark Shepherd (KY); 
T-H Graham Motion. $20,000. 
3–Lady Pimpernel (GB), 117, f, 4, Sir Percy (GB)– 
Angeleno (Ire), by Belong to Me. (800gns yrl ’11 
TATOCT; 8,500gns 2yo ‘12 TATGNS). O-Triton 
Racing LLC; B-Harts Farm Stud (GB); T-Carla Gaines. 
$12,000. 
Margins: HF, NK, NO. Odds: 29.70, 13.50, 3.70. 
Also Ran: Scooter Bird, Winning Rhythm, Appealing Cat, Left a Message, Hijra (Ire), Bee Brave (GB), Modernstone (GB), Luscious Lonna. 
Scratched: Macaabra (Ire), Soresca (Ire). 
Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs. VIDEO.