SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Historic Heart parlayed a remarkable training feat by Keri Brion with the heart of a champion Wednesday at Saratoga into a heart-pulsing, nose decision over Proven Innocent in one of the most memorable renewals in the long history of the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial. The hard-fought victory after running a grueling 2 3/8 miles over the national fences was the first for Historic Heart in more than three years and came in just his second start since his second-place finish in this event two years earlier.
Historic Heart did not complete the course in his only previous outing since the 2023 Smithwick when returning to the races three months earlier at Morven Park in Virginia. He was scheduled to compete in the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman here on June 6 only to be excluded from the event for not having worked off a list as a result of stumbling and losing his rider in his last start.
Brion re-united Historic Heart on Wednesday with jockey Danny Mullins, who was aboard the 8-year-old gelding for the first time in the 2023 Smithwick. The pair kept within easy striking distance of Kitten Around, who set the pace for more than two miles and over all nine fences, before relinquishing command to his stablemate approaching the stretch. Historic Heart then dug in gamely when engaged by Proven Innocent approaching the eighth pole, never letting that one by while under vigorous handling from Mullins through the final furlong.
Proven Innocent, who rallied from far back to register a three-quarter length victory in the Steinman, raced toward the rear of the eight-horse field until completing the final hurdle. He advanced to closer contention around the final turn, moved on even terms with the winner a furlong from home but was not quite good enough. It was another 5 1/4 lengths farther back to Zarak the Brave who finished third without seriously menacing the top pair at the end.
Awakened, the tepid 5-2 favorite coming off his third-place finish in the Steinman while making his first start in nearly a year, trailed much of the way and was without a final response.
Historic Heart is trained by Brion for Atlantic Friends Racing. He completed the distance over firm ground in 4:37.46 seconds and paid $23.20.
“That was special,” Brion enthused after the race. “We’ve always loved him. We always thought he was a top class horse. Obviously, it’s not been easy getting here. He had some issues and the owners were very patient.”
Brion said it was a clerical matter that kept Historic Heart from getting a prep in the Steinman.
“It was no big deal, but it kept us out of that run, so he came here essentially off almost two years off,” Brion said. “I weighed running him on the flat again like we did two years ago, but he’d been training good and I have confidence in my ability to get one ready off a layoff. Obviously this was still a very big ask, but that was more the horse at the end than it was the trainer. So I credit him. He just has so much heart, I knew that if he got in a battle he’d be tough to get by just off pure will, and he proved that today.”
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