Horologist, Dunbar Road Aim to Regroup in Summer Colony

Restricted to older fillies and mares that have not won a graded stakes race in 2021, the $120,000 Summer Colony Stakes Aug. 22 at Saratoga Race Course would seem likely to draw a modest field.

But such is the allure of Saratoga that the 1 1/8-mile contest did land a quality lineup, drawing three graded/group winners from 2020, including a pair, Horologist  and Dunbar Road , with $2 million in earnings between them.

Sunday's race will mark their second meeting this summer at the Spa. Last month, they raced in the Shuvee Stakes (G3), with Horologist setting the pace and finishing second to Royal Flag , and Dunbar Road threatening with a mild bid exiting the second turn before flattening out to fifth.

Horologist "ran a great race that day," said her trainer, Hall of Famer Bill Mott. "She was unfortunate to miss last time. She seems to be training well so hopefully we can get her back into winning form."

Earlier this year, she took the Top Flight Invitational Stakes April 10 at Aqueduct Racetrack for owners There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms, and David Staudacher. She is 1-1-0 in four races in 2021.

Last year was her most rewarding season, in which the daughter of Gemologist   won the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) and Beldame Stakes (G2) as a 4-year-old. A year earlier, she took the Monmouth Oaks (G3) at age 3.

She has a record of 8-3-4 in 24 starts with earnings of $826,939. Regular jockey Junior Alvarado will retain the mount from post 2.

Trainer Chad Brown will send out Peter Brant's Dunbar Road and Sumaya U.S. Stable's Gold Spirit .

Dunbar Road searches for her first win since capturing last year's Delaware Handicap (G2) by three lengths before showing in the Beldame at Belmont Park and the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland. During her 3-year-old year in 2019, she took the Alabama Stakes (G1) and Mother Goose Stakes (G2). She leads the field with earnings of more than $1.2 million, accomplished with a 6-for-13 record.

She twice hung in the stretch in finishing fifth in a pair of starts this year, the first of which came in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1) April 30 at Churchill Downs. Jockey Jose Ortiz will ride from post 3.

Gold Spirit, a close fourth in the Shuvee in her domestic bow, will compete without blinkers Sunday. She was a runaway group 1 winner in her native Chile in November. Jockey Joel Rosario rides from the outside post in the field of six.

So Darn Hot , Gibberish , and Thankful  round out the field. Of those, Gibberish is likely to attract the most public support after a runner-up finish in last month's Delaware Handicap.

Entries: Summer Colony S.

Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 22, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $120,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:39 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1So Darn Hot (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	George Weaver	12/1
2	2Horologist (NJ)	Junior Alvarado	124	William I. Mott	2/1
3	3Dunbar Road (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Chad C. Brown	5/2
4	4Gibberish (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	7/2
5	5Thankful (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
6	6Gold Spirit (CHI)	Joel Rosario	124	Chad C. Brown	5/2