Summer Hit defends title in All American

Summer Hit (inside) bravely held off stablemate Longview Drive to repeat in All American (Shane Micheli/Vassar Photography) Summer Hit turned in a successful title defense of Monday’s Grade 3, $100,210 All American at Golden Gate Fields, but it wasn’t easy as 24-1 longshot Longview Drive, a stablemate in the barn of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, threatened to upset the 3-5 favorite in the final strides. At the wire, Summer Hit narrowly held off his unheralded barnmate by a head in the one-mile test over Tapeta. Sent to the front by Russell Baze, Summer Hit was under continuous pressure from Pepper Crown in the run down the backside. After clicking off fractions of :24 3/5, :48 4/5 and 1:12 3/5, the favorite opened back up a length lead with an eighth to go, but then got hooked by Longview Drive. Summer Hit proved gritty and game, however, winning the photo in a time of 1:38. He returned $3.20 in winning his seventh race in eight attempts on Golden Gate’s main track. “He was not going to let that horse go by him,” Baze said. “He dug in tough. (Longview Drive) would have gone by most horses as hard as he was running. They stretched him pretty good the whole way, but this horse is just tough to beat on this track.”

Longview Drive was a clear second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of 2012 All American
winner Hudson Landing. China Prince, Pepper Crown, You Know I Know and Minister
Vivendi completed the order of finish.

This was the fifth career stakes win for Summer Hit, who is co-owned by
Hollendorder and John Carver. His 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 Grade 3 scores in the All
American and Berkeley Handicap, and the $110,000 Harry F. Brubaker at Del Mar,
all in 2013.

Ninth in his 2014 debut, the California Cup Turf Classic, Summer Hit next
finished third in the Sensational Star, both at Santa Anita. After his return to
Golden Gate, the five-year-old gelding beat open allowance company by five
lengths on March 15. Last time, he finished a close second in the San Francisco
Mile on grass for the second straight year. His record now stands at 20-11-3-3,
$532,219.

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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