“My heart was in my throat for you. What a good boy. Hope he comes out okay!”

That was one of the texts I received after Valdez made his 1,204-day return to the races at Newbury last Saturday.

The 11-year-old chaser finished third of three, a post code behind Altior and Politologue, but it wasn’t about his finish. It was about the heart-in-the-throat moment. That’s why we do it. Whether you’re an owner, a trainer, a jockey, a groom or a gambler, it’s about that moment, that heart-in-your-heart moment when the race is in the balance.

They were everywhere last Saturday.

Mark Casse had two, well, two big ones as he ventured to Tampa Bay Downs with turf champion World Approval and improving three-year-old Flameaway. At 5:03pm, Casse watched Flameaway break running and lead five rivals in the Sam F. Davis, heart rate down, then up as Catholic Boy swarmed on the outside. Up some more as Flameaway dug in and staved off Catholic Boy and late running Vino Rosso. A 10/1 winner on the road to the Derby, Casse’s heart was singing.

Twenty-seven minutes later, Casse watched John Velazquez place World Approval in a perfect spot in third in his 2018 debut, his stride as rhythmical as Casse’s heart. When Forge loomed, World Approval stretched and put it to rest, a perfect half-length win. Job done. Deep breath.

Todd Pletcher’s heart doesn’t flutter often and it didn’t during the Davis, but it surely was content with the stamina-showing performance by Vino Rosso. Tab for later.

Some wonder if Jerry Hollendorfer has a heartbeat, the Hall of Fame trainer keeps his cards close to his vest and his emotions checked somewhere below those cards. As they say, still waters run deep. Hollendorfer stayed calm when Mike Smith allowed Unique Bella to roll to the lead in the Santa Maria at Santa Anita.

The Eclipse Award winner (the award was debated and maligned), made quick work of four rivals, rolling to a nine-length win. No heart palpitations for Smith or Hollendorfer as Unique Bella ticked off the perfect start to her four-year-old season. She’s now seven-for-nine in her stellar career.

Dan Hendricks used to raise his heart on a dirt bike, catching air and flying high. That all ended when he crashed in 2004, he’s never walked again. The trainer now gets his thrills by watching his horses perform. Veteran Om, who’s not a front-runner, and jockey Flavien Prat took an electric paddle to Hendriks’ heart when they opened up seven lengths in the middle of the Thunder Road at Santa Anita. The margin was cut from seven to a half-length in one call, but Om made it stick, eking out a half-length win over Bowies Hero. That will put your heart in your throat.

Willie McCarthy’s heart might not be in his throat but it’s definitely back in the game. The 2014 champion jockey hit the shelf with a broken foot, two broken vertebrae, five broken ribs, a punctured lung, a 10-inch laceration and a concussion last summer. McCarthy is back working for 11-time champion trainer Jack Fisher and is ready to roll. “I’m in love with the game,” McCarthy said. “Getting hurt instilled that, ‘Look, enjoy what you’re doing while you can do it and give it your best shot.’ I’m going to do that, hopefully, it’s good enough to win another championship and then pull the curtain on it.”

No horse raises a heart like a front-runner or a deep closer. Consolida, making her first start since winning at Newcastle back in October, rallied from last to take the California Oaks for Paddy Gallagher.

If you’ve ever watched a race with the West Point Thoroughbreds team, you know their hearts raise into their throats when the gates open and stay there, no matter if they have a shot or not. Well, they had a shot in the San Vicente at Santa Anita as Kanthaka, at 11/1, rallied from fifth to draw off easily. “This feels great,” West Point’s Jeff Lifson said. “It never gets old.” Derby dreams for West Point and Hollendorfer.

Cyril Murphy’s heart isn’t racing yet, but give it time. The Maryland-based conditioner has champion Rawnaq back in work. The Irish-bred 11-year-old missed all of 2017 with a leg injury but has been jogging since October. “Right now, you’d say, we’re seeing the same as we saw before,” Murphy said. “The routine is the same, his enthusiasm still seems to be there. It’s nice to have him back.”

Chad Brown’s heart wasn’t rising in the waning strides of the Suwannee River at Gulfstream, the trainer was going to win it one way or another as Dream Awhile reached the lead and stablemate Elysea’s World closed. The latter, an Irish-bred daughter of Champs Elysees nailed the former to win by a neck.

And, lastly, the true heart horse. Heart To Heart produced another heart thumper with another do-or-die front-running gem in the Gulfstream Park Turf.

Trained by Brian Lynch, the seven-year-old, who does it the hard way each time, opened up a length and held off Kurilov by a diminishing neck. The bay gelding with a white heart between his eyes and a big heart in his chest snapped a three-race losing streak to pick up his 14th career win. All heart.