Golden Gate Fields: Summer Hit headed south

Summer Hit is heading to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s Southern California barn after winning Saturday’s $100,000 Silky Sullivan by a neck over multiple stakes winner Stoney Fleece at Golden Gate Fields.

Summer Hit, a Betrando gelding, has 4 wins in 6 starts plus a second and a a third-place finish against older in the Gray Memo at Hollywood Park. He has earned $100,347.

Summer Hit won a $12,500 claimer by nine lengths in his Jan. 21 debut, which came for owner-breeder Ken Heidt and trainer Tim McCanna. He was claimed out of that race by Villamar Candelario, and Hoillendorfer bought the gelding privately from him.

“I didn’t have a claim in, but when I saw the horse win, I told the guy that got him I wanted to buy the horse, and he sold him to me,” said Hollendorfer.

Hollendorfer would not say what he paid for Summer Hit, but he did not deny that the $57,000 Summer Hit earned for winning the Silky Sullivan covered the purchase cost for him and co-owner John Carver.

“I thought he was a good horse, a good prospect,” said Hollendorfer, who was obviously correct in his assessment.

Another top Hollendorfer prospect, Indian Gracey, makes her 2012 debut Friday in a $62,500 optional claimer at six furlongs. A 4-year-old Indian Ocean filly, she runs for the second allowance condition.

She set the pace before finishing third in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf as a 2-year-old in 2010, but made only two starts last year, winning her comeback in August.