Trainer John Ortiz will be at Fair Grounds on Thanksgiving to watch the newest member of his barn run in the $175,000 Thanksgiving Classic for one very special reason – Taylor Logan.
“I will be there because this race is pretty important for the owner's family,” Ortiz said.
Taylor Logan is the daughter of Elliott Logan (of TEC Racing), who owns Heart Rhythm. Elliott will be donating any winnings from the Classic, and all his horses' races this month, to charity in hopes of finding a cure for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), the rare disease his daughter has been battling.
“Whatever earnings he (Elliott Logan) makes this month he will be donating to the charity for fighting this disease,” Ortiz said. “That's why it's so important to win this race not just for the horse's sake, not for the money's sake, not for Thanksgiving's sake, but to bring awareness so we can hopefully help find a cure. Horses can make people feel better. Sometimes we just focus on the wrong part of it, and I am glad that we have a story to share. That's why it's important for us to be down (at Fair Grounds).”
The barn's go-to rider Rey Gutierrez will don TEC Racing's orange CRPS awareness month silks.
Maybe you've noticed them at Woodbine or at Churchill. The orange and white silks with an orange ribbon that reads “TAL” at the top and “CPRS Fighter” on the sides. Taylor is the one who designed the silks, and the jockeys and trainers are racing for her, along with the 200,000 others across the U.S. affected by this rare disease with no cure, described as the most painful in the world.
“We're going to change the silks to the orange ones she designed, which is the recognition color,” Ortiz said. “We are going to run this race in her honor. It is a very painful disease she struggles with.”
Ortiz claimed Heart Rhythm for $100,000 on behalf of owner Elliott Logan of TEC Racing in September at Churchill Downs. In that race, the 4-year-old son of Flat Out finished sixth behind foes he'll face again in the Classic, Ready to Pounce and Surveillance.
Making his first start under Ortiz' care on Oct. 19, Heart Rhythm dazzled the Keeneland crowd winning a $140,000 Allowance, defeating Chattlaot, who he'll face again in the Classic.
“I think this horse will like the distance,” Ortiz said. “I think the long stretch at Fair Grounds will be good for him. His last race was 6 1/2 (furlongs) so I like that he'll have a big kick cutting back in distance for that long stretch. We shipped him in right after the Keeneland race, I knew this is where I would go with him.”
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