Summer Hit cruises in Berkeley

Summer Hit has now won five of six over Golden Gate’s main track (Vassar Photography) John Carver and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s Summer Hit proved no match against eventual Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man in the September 28 Awesome Again at Santa Anita, but returned to top form Friday at the friendlier confines of Golden Gate Fields with a facile victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Berkeley Handicap. A retreating seventh after setting the pace in the Awesome Again, Summer Hit again set the tempo in the 1 1/16-mile Berkeley contested on Tapeta, but this time never once looked in danger of being caught under Russell Baze. Rattling off moderate fractions of :24 2/5, :48 2/5 and 1:12 2/5, the four-year-old son of Bertrando kicked clear at the top of the stretch and strolled home a six-length winner in a time of 1:42 3/5. The 3-5 favorite in a field of five, Summer Hit paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10.

Majestic City chased Summer Hit from second, lost position in the stretch,
but re-rallied to get the place by a neck over Fire With Fire. Teaks North
finished fourth while Stryker Phd completed the order of finish. Administer was
scratched.

This was the fourth career stakes win for Summer Hit, whose first black type
score came in June 2012 in the $100,000 Silky Sullivan for California-breds at
Golden Gate. Subsequent stakes wins have come in open company, highlighted by a
Grade 3 score in the May 27 All American and the $110,000 Harry F. Brubaker at
Del Mar on August 31. He also missed by a neck in the San Francisco Mile on
grass last April. Summer Hit’s record now stands at 15-9-2-2, $417,505.

Bred in California by Kenneth Heidt and Janice Heidt, Summer Hit was produced
by the winning Tough Knight mare Mia F Eighteen, who has also reared the
multiple stakes-winning Starbird Road. This extended family has also yielded
multiple Grade 2 winner Hilco Scamper.

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