Summer Sunday continued her Woodbine winning ways on Sunday afternoon while earning a graded stakes score in the $125,000 Hendrie for fillies and mares.
The Stuart Simon trainee has racked up five stakes wins and is now six-for-six while competing at Woodbine.
In Sunday’s 6-1/2 furlong sprint, 3-2 favourite Summer Sunday pressed the pace while racing between rivals through opening panels of :23.33 and :46.09 then came through to challenge Sly Beauty for the lead entering the final turn. She struck the front at the top of the lane and drew clear to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:16.62.
Katie Baby, the 7-2 second choice, staged a late rally on the far outside to finish second ahead of Alnilah. Sly Beauty edged out Silent Sonet in a photo finish for fourth while Crazy Sweet, Straitouttapopcorn and Devine Mischief completed the field.
“We got some decent pace in front, so we were able to track a horse and settle down,” said winning jockey Rafael Hernandez. “The horse outside [Devine Mischief] put a little pressure and wanted to go early but by the three-eighths she was done so my horse settled down more and gave me a better finish.”
An eight-time starter with close to $380,000 in earnings, Summer Sunday has won all six of her Woodbine appearances on the Tapeta surface.
“It’s quite unusual and most rewarding,” said William Scott, who shares ownership of the four-year-old daughter of Silent Name with his wife Anne.
Throughout her career, she has collected stakes wins in the Nandi, Muskoka and Fury as well as last month’s Ballade Stakes. While Summer Sunday has shown consistency on Woodbine’s main track, Simon noted the Ontario-bred filly has more to offer.
“She’s just a dream horse,” said Simon. “She is better than her form does say on dirt, believe me. I really think she’d run on the grass too. She’s just that type of horse – on the lead, off the lead, probably run farther – she’s a dream horse.”
The victory capped off a successful weekend for Simon, who also watched his trainee Sister Peacock win the William D. Graham Memorial Stakes on Saturday and Bold Script finish just a neck shy of Woodbine Oaks glory.
“They’re all quality, nice fillies and I expected them to run well and they did,” said Simon.
Summer Sunday returned $5 to win.
Live Thoroughbred racing continues on Wednesday evening, with first race post time set for 6:45 p.m.
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