Dowager Win a Timely Update for Summer in Saratoga
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Summer in Saratoga wins the Dowager Stakes at Keeneland
Highlander Training Center's Summer in Saratoga gave her résumé a notable update Oct. 24 at Keeneland, winning the $150,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T) ahead of a trip through the ring at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale across town in Lexington.
The 5-year-old Hard Spun mare will be consigned as Hip 242 by Denali Stud, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect to the Nov. 9 auction.
With Corey Lanerie up, Summer in Saratoga rallied from eighth in the field of 10 fillies and mares, then held off favored Luck Money for a half-length victory. She completed the 1 1/2 miles on the turf, rated good after rain earlier in the day, in 2:30.02. She returned $12.80 for a $2 win ticket.
Summer in Saratoga was bred in Kentucky by My Meadowview out of Vanity Handicap (G1) winner Love Theway Youare (by Arch). Love Theway Youare has since produced a yearling Candy Ride filly and a weanling Omaha Beach colt. She was bred to Improbable for 2022.
Shepherd Equine Advisors purchased Summer in Saratoga for Highlander's Larry Hirsch for $165,000 out of Denali's consignment to the 2019 Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale after her first two starts. From 16 career races, Summer in Saratoga has collected a 6-1-2 record and earned $429,572.
The winning connections of Summer in Saratoga in the trophy presentation for the Dowager Stakes
"Clark Shepherd picked her out at the Fasig sale a couple years back for Larry Hirsch and Highlander Training Center," trainer Joe Sharp said. "Larry's been great about the filly's management from day one. He's let her come into herself and been very patient with her. We gave her a nice break, sent her back to his farm, Highlander Training Center; Scooter Dodwell and Jeff Hooper did a great job with her over the winter, having her ready for us.
"She came back and got her first stakes win in March at the Fair Grounds, which was huge for her. Ever since then she's done everything we've asked of her. The mile-and-a-half test today was something that we hadn't tried yet. I'm obviously glad that we did. I almost regret that we hadn't done it sooner, but I'm glad to see her get the graded win she deserves. She's in the upcoming Fasig sale and we're definitely going to miss her in our barn, but she's been a really special filly to us."
The race went off 10 minutes after its scheduled post time after Kelsey's Cross had to return to the paddock for shoe repair. Eesha My Flower set the pace with fractions of :23.80, :48.93, 1:14.77, and 1:40.08, and 2:06.09 ahead of Key Biscayne and Kelsey's Cross.
Lanerie saved ground with Summer in Saratoga around the three turns, shifting his mount into the three path as he prepared to pass the grandstand a second time. The mare split horses at the three-sixteenths pole and surged to a 1 1/2-length lead in the stretch before digging in to hold off Luck Money.
Summer in Saratoga leads the charge to the wire in the Dowager Stake
Lanerie said he knew he had enough horse under him at the three-eighths pole.
"She was traveling really well throughout the whole race. I asked her for a little bit to check on her and see what I had, and I could tell I had a lot left, so at that point I was just looking for a path and trying to set my way where I could get on through," the rider said.
Luck Money was second by two lengths over Micheline . Kelsey's Cross, English Affair , La Lune , Viburnum , Key Biscayne, Eesha My Flower, and I Hear You completed the order or finish.