Trainer Christophe Clement said he hopes a change in race dynamics will help
Summer Front earn his first Grade 1 victory when he competes in the $400,000
Jamaica Handicap on October 6 at Belmont Park.
Belmont is the site of Summer Front’s lone graded stakes victory, a
half-length triumph in the Grade 3 Hill Prince on June 16. The Waterford Stable
representative returned to take the Duluth overnight stakes on July 22 at
Saratoga, then finished third in the Grade 1 Secretariat on August 18 at
Arlington Park after racing just off a slow pace, leading into the stretch, and
yielding late to Bayrir and Finnegans Wake.
“I thought (in the Secretariat), even though he finished third, he lacked a
bit of racing luck,” Clement said. “He was closer to the pace than I would have
liked, and the race was a little bit against him.”
The Secretariat was Summer Front’s first loss in six starts on the turf. Four
of his five victories on the grass have come in stakes.
“He was unbeaten on the turf until he went to Chicago. I got him beat, as
usual,” Clement quipped.
Clement said he plans to breeze Summer Front on the turf this weekend.
Trainer Tom Bush said Friday that Grade 3 Saranac winner Unbridled Command is
under consideration for the Jamaica and that a decision will be made after a
work this weekend.
“I want to work him first, and I’ve got to figure out when that’s going to
happen,” Bush said. “The latest has got to be Monday because this race is
Saturday. Then we can take a breath and figure out whether it’s the right race
for the horse.”
With Grade 1 Pacific Classic winner Dullahan and Summer Front likely both
pointing for the Jamaica, Bush is well aware of the level of competition.
“Dullahan, he’s an unbelievable horse,” Bush said. “He hasn’t won on the
turf, but he’s run fast numbers on it even when he didn’t win, so he’ll be
tough.
“Summer Front and Unbridled Command are very close on the numbers, but Summer
Front has run against a lot better horses than Unbridled Command has ever run
against, and that probably means more than the numbers. I would love to just
walk him across the street and run, but I’m not sure it’s the right race for the
horse.”
Whether or not the Lakland Farm representative runs in the Jamaica, Bush is
very pleased with Unbridled Command’s recent development.
“He’s matured a lot,” Bush said. “You can tell. He’s a horse with some
confidence and he’s going the right way, and he’s coming out of his races
healthy. All those things are real positives. He showed up (in the Saranac). We
needed to improve to run good in there, and fortunately we improved. Whether we
can improve more than that, I don’t know.”
The Jamaica is one of three Grade 1 races kicking off the three-day holiday
weekend, with the $400,000 Frizette and $400,000 Champagne, both “Win and You’re
In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge races for juveniles, highlighting the October 6
card.
According to NYRA stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes, others likely for the
Jamaica are Irish colt Amira’s Prince, who would be making his American debut
for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; European import Cogito, most recently second
in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam; Shkspeare Shaliyah, winner of last year’s Grade
3 Pilgrim; Optimizer, winner of the Grade 3 Kent; and multiple stakes winner
King Kreesa.
Undefeated Shanghai Bobby, winner of the Grade 2 Hopeful, looks to extend his
record to four-for-four in the Champagne, the winner of which earns an automatic
berth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on November 3. Also
targeting the one-mile race are Hopeful runner-up Fortify; maiden winners
Archwarrior and Goldencents, and European maiden Chief Havoc. Grade 2 Sanford
winner Bern Identity, third in the Hopeful last time out, and Keep the Canoli,
winner of an allowance on September 14 at Laurel, are questionable.
Stonestreet Stables’ sensational Dreaming of Julia, who has won her two
starts by a combined margin of 26 3/4 lengths, heads the probable starters for
the one-mile Frizette. My Happy Face, an eye-popping 21 1/4-length maiden winner
at the Spa, and Woodbine-based Nancy O, a maiden who was most recently third in
the Grade 2 Natalma, are also likely. Recent maiden winner Carameaway and Grade
1 Spinaway runner-up Sweet Shirley Mae are possible.
The October 7 card is highlighted by the Grade 3, $150,000 Pilgrim and the
Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Grillo, both “Win and You’re In” events for the Grade 1
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf. Likely for the 1
/16-mile Pilgrim are Grade 2 With Anticipation winner Balance the Books; the
Irish-bred Cerro, a maiden winner in Italy; Notacatbutallama, fourth in the With
Anticipation; recent maiden winners Noble Tune, Quinzieme Monarque, Read the
Proposal and Sonofasamurai, and Special Skills, placed second after winning the
Nick Shuk Memorial at Delaware Park.
Among the two-year-old fillies likely for the 1 1/16-mile Miss Grillo are
Watsdachances, who took the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga in her American debut;
Effie Trinket, winner of the restricted Aristie on the main track at the Spa;
Kitten’s Dumplings and Summer of Fun, fourth and 10th, respectively, in the
Grade 2 Natalma at Woodbine, and recent maiden winners Buckingham Bull,
Sustained, and Three Hearts.
Among the probables for the Columbus Day (October 8) feature, the $150,000
Pebbles for three-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf, are Ainsley, Channel
Lady, and Ski Holiday, with Disposablepleasure possible.
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