Summer Hit Aimed for All American Three-Peat

Summer Hit will try to win the $100,000 All American Stakes (gr. III) for the third consecutive year May 25 at Golden Gate Fields.

 

A mile race on the Tapeta surface for 3-year-olds and older, the All American is the feature event on the track's nine-race Memorial Day program and carded as race 8. Post time is approximately 12:45 p.m. PDT.

 

Summer Hit, a 6-year-old Bertrando gelding who has 11 wins from 23 career starts, captured the 2013 and 2014 editions of the All American in game, front-running fashion under jockey Russell Baze, who is back aboard Monday.

 

Summer Hit edged Hudson Landing by three-quarters of a length in 2013 and Longview Drive by a head in 2014. In his most recent outing in the San Francisco Mile (gr. II) April 25 at Golden Gate, he made the pace, but could not hold back the strong rally of stablemate G. G. Ryder, finishing second by a half length. 

 

G. G. Ryder, a 4-year-old son of Chhaya Dance, reopposes Monday, seeking a second straight graded stakes win. Both runners are trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who also sends out three-time stakes winner Outside Nashville, who is seeking a graded stakes breakthrough. 

 

Santa Anita Park-based trainer Gary Mandella has Irish-bred mare Living The Life ready to compete against males. She returns to the Bay Area track after winning the Camilla Urso Stakes there March 14. The 5-year-old daughter of Footstepsinthesand will try to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the La Cienegas Stakes (gr. IIIT) April 4 at Santa Anita. Since being purchased in England and brought to the U.S. last year by owner Henry R. Nothhaft, Living The Life is 3-for-5, including her win in the 2014 Presque Isle Masters (gr. II).  

 

Also entered is Pepper Crown, a 5-year-old son of Peppered Cat who races for owner-breeder-trainer Alex Paszkeicz. Winner of three stakes at Golden Gate in 2014, including the San Francisco Mile and Berkeley (gr. III), he has a 9-5-4 record from 23 starts. He was foiled in a repeat attempt in this year's San Francisco Mile, finishing fourth while trying to complete a last-to-first rally.