Summer Sunday Breaks Through in Hendrie Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Summer Sunday draws clear to win the Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine
Already a four-time black-type winner, Anne and William Scott's Summer Sunday made the grade in the US$107,792 Hendrie Stakes (G3) June 9 at Woodbine. The 3-2 favorite received a perfect trip from jockey Rafael Hernandez and charged home in the stretch to capture the 6 1/2-furlong race, improving her clean record over the Tapeta course.
"She's just a dream horse," said trainer Stuart Simon. "She is better than her form does say on dirt, believe me. I really think she'd run on the grass, too. She's just that type of horse—on the lead, off the lead, probably run farther—she's a dream horse."
A day earlier, Simon won the William D. Graham Memorial Stakes with Sister Peacock and sent out Bold Script to finish second by a neck in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser.
"They're all quality, nice fillies, and I expected them to run well and they did," he said.
In the Hendrie, Sly Beauty led the way through a half-mile in fractions of :23.33 and :46.09 on a fast track. Summer Sunday began in third and moved early to be only a half-length behind Sly Beauty by the half-mile point. Sly Beauty tried to fight on, but Summer Sunday had plenty of run left and opened by more than two lengths in the stretch.
The only threat to close on Summer Sunday was Katie Baby, the second choice who raced in sixth and had to angle three to five wide on the turn for running room. She was able to shorten the gap but ultimately crossed the wire 1 1/2 lengths behind Summer Sunday.
The 4-year-old Silent Name filly stopped the clock in 1:16.62.
Katie Baby got up for second by a neck over Alnilah in third. Sly Beauty, Silent Sonet, Crazy Sweet, Straitouttapopcorn, and Devine Mischief completed the order of finish.
"We got some decent pace in front, so we were able to track a horse and settle down," Hernandez said. "(Devine Mischief) put a little pressure and wanted to go early, but by the three-eighths she was done, so my horse settled down more and gave me a better finish."
Summer Sunday was bred in Ontario by Trinity West Stables. She is a daughter of the Millennium Allstar mare Dancing Allstar, who won eight stakes in Canada and received the Sovereign Award for champion 2-year-old filly. Summer Sunday's half sister Trini Brewnette also had success in Canada, winning two stakes and placing in five others. Dancing Allstar foaled a Bernardini filly this year.
The Scotts purchased Summer Sunday for $72,485 from Gail Wood's Woodlands consignment to the 2016 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) Canadian-bred Yearling Sale. Summer Sunday has six wins in eight starts and $371,763 in earnings.
Summer Sunday had a perfect juvenile season, including wins in the Nandi Stakes and OLG/OR Muskoka Stakes Presented by Signature Red. She only raced twice last year at 3 with two starts in April, finishing off the board in the Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3) at Keeneland and rebounding in the Fury Stakes back at Woodbine.
Summer Sunday returned from almost a year-long layoff in a Keeneland allowance optional claiming race this year before returning to Woodbine's winner's circle in the Ballade Stakes. She remains undefeated at the Toronto track.