Summer Front remains perfect in Dania Beach

Despite a stumbling start, Summer Front flew home to take the Dania Beach (Adam Coglianese Photography)

Waterford Stable’s Summer Front entered Sunday’s $100,000
Dania Beach Stakes at
Gulfstream Park with a perfect two-for-two mark and exited the one-mile turf
contest still unbeaten after rallying for a 1 1/2-length victory. Ramon Dominguez guided
the Christophe Clement trainee over the firm going, and the pair got up to
deny 8-5 favorite Finale in a final time of 1:35 2/5.

“It’s not easy to win a mile race here (on turf) with a wide trip.
Now he’s three-for-three,” Clement said. “We’ve had success for
(owner) Mr.
(Thomas) Moore before with In Summation and we look forward to next year with
this one.”

Csaba and Excaper headed to the front when the gates opened, leading the way
through splits of :24 1/5, :47 3/5 and 1:12 3/5. Finale was keeping in close
attendance just to the outside while Summer Front bided his time in midpack
racing three wide after stumbling badly at the start.

As the field turned for home, Csaba and Excaper found themselves overwhelmed
with rivals. The longtime pacesetter began fading, but Excaper tried to maintain his
spot in the lead. He couldn’t keep Finale from sticking his head in front nearing
the line, and that one appeared ready to get back to his winning ways. However,
Summer Front was just unwinding down the center of the track and flew past
Finale to take his second straight stakes following a half-length triumph in the
King Cugat Stakes at Aqueduct on November 6.

Summer Front easily overtook Finale (white bridle) in the stretch (Adam Coglianese Photography)

Finale kept his neck in front of Escaper to take second, with Coalport
another nose back in fourth. Csaba, Empire Builder and Italo were separated by
two necks on the wire, while Burning Time, Brother Pat, Vee One Rotate and Starforce
completed the order of finish. Silver Menace was listed as a main-track only
entrant.

“He ran a great race today; he was just beat by a better horse,” jockey John
Velazquez said of Finale. “We were three-wide today but it was not that bad. It
was nothing like in the Breeders’ Cup. That was wide.”

Bred in Kentucky by Graceville Breeding, Summer Front is slowly but surely
earning back his $475,000 purchase price as a Keeneland April two-year-old, now
showing $126,000 to go along with is perfect mark.

Though Summer Front has raced exclusively on the turf thus far, a trip to the
main track could be in his future.

“We didn’t try him on dirt this year, but maybe next year,” Clement said.