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Summer gives Roman the Doldrums in Whirlaway The Richard Dutrow-trained Lawrence the Roman (Point Given) went off as the prohibitive 1-2 favorite in Saturday's $70,070 Whirlaway S. at Aqueduct, but the New York-bred was nowhere at the finish in his first outing versus open company as SUMMER DOLDRUMS (Street Cry [Ire]) romped by 5 1/4 lengths. The Richard Violette Jr. pupil completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast inner track in 1:42 1/5 beneath Mike Luzzi, earning his first career stakes victory and stamping himself as a Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful. After breaking from the rail, Summer Doldrums pressed Sports Town (Belong to Me) through the opening quarter in :23 2/5. The eventual winner then took a narrow lead from Sports Town while carving out fractions of :47 and 1:11 1/5, with Lawrence the Roman tracking in third. Turning for home, the top pair began to draw away from the favorite, who was finding little under pressure. Summer Doldrums then put away Sports Town and opened up a daylight margin, getting the mile in 1:36 en route to an impressive score. Sent off as the 7-2 second choice, the dark bay colt returned $9.30, $4.60 and $8.20 while keying exotics worth $62.50 (exacta) and $227.50 (1-4-5 trifecta). "There was some bumping on the first turn, which probably put him on the bridle," Violette said. "That wasn't Plan A. It's nice when you can have a horse go to Plan B or C and still win the way he did. This is a very nice horse. I'm glad he's reinforced the talent we thought he had." Sir Whimsey (Jump Start) rallied for second at 16-1, three-quarters of a length ahead of the 4-1 Sports Town. Place paid $7.30 and $19.80, while show was good for $15.40. Brass Run (Service Stripe) checked in fourth, trailed by Lawrence the Roman and Pink Viper (Smoke Glacken). "I don't know what to tell you," jockey Edgar Prado said of his trip aboard Lawrence the Roman. "He broke OK and was right behind the speed. I thought I was in a good spot. Down the backstretch, he threw the bit in and kept going backwards. He came back OK, so we'll see." Bred by Gentry Stable in Kentucky, Summer Doldrums was sold for $150,000 as a 2005 Keeneland September yearling. The winner is out of the stakes-placed Dance for Dixie (Unaccounted For), who is herself a half-sister to four-time stakes queen Cielo Girl (Conquistador Cielo). Summer Doldrums now sports a mark of 6-3-1-1 and has earned $110,276 for owners Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence. The dark bay broke his maiden in his third career start at Belmont Park in October. He didn't fare well in his stakes debut in the Remsen S. (G2), winding up seventh, but rebounded with an 8 1/2-length tally over this track against allowance/optional claiming company in his latest venture. Violette indicated that his sophomore would probably aim for the $200,000 Gotham S. (G3) on March 10.
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